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1738 



1 888 



THE 



Greenville Baptist Church, 



IN 



LEICESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. 



REV. THOMAS GREEN, M. D. 



FIRST PASTOR. 



I 




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s 

o 



1738 i 888 

THE 






GREENVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH <±£ 

■ 

IN LEICESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. 



EXERCISES 



ON THE 



150th Anniversary 



OF ITS FORMATION, 



SEPTEMBER 28, 1888, 



INCLUDING A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE BY THE PASTOR 

AND ADDRESSES COMMEMORATIVE OF ITS FIRST 

PASTOR, Rev. THOMAS GREEN, M. D. 



WORCESTER: 

C. F. Lawrence & Co., Printers, 195 Front Street. 






.L^VG*7 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Mural Tablet, Frontispiece. 


Prefatory Note, 


3 


Programme, 


5 


Address of Welcome by the Pastor, . 


7 


Presentation of Mural Tablet, Samuel S. Green, A. 


M. 9 


Historical Discourse, H. C. Estes, D. D., . 


13 


Jubilee Hymn, Rev. D. F. Estes, . 


6 9 


Addresses — 




Hon. Andrew H. Green, .... 


7i 


Samuel S. Green, A. M. ... 


7* 


Rev. Leighton Williams, .... 


83 


Rev. David F. Estes, .... 


90 


Rev. A. H. Coolidge, .... 


96 


Rev. Samuel May, 


100 


Mr. Caleb A. Wall, 


105 


Hon. Charles A. Denny, 


no 


Appendix, Sermon by the Pastor, 


115 


Erratum, 


127 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



At a meeting of the Greenville Baptist Church, in 
Leicester, November 27th, 1887, it was voted unanimously 
that the church celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth 
anniversary of its formation, on Friday, the 28th day of 
September, 1888 ; that the pastor be invited to deliver a 
historical discourse on that occasion ; that the Green 
family, descendants of the Rev. Thomas Green, M. D., 
who was the first pastor of the church, be invited to join 
in the commemorative services ; and that H. C. Estes, 
Daniel F. Draper, Franklin B. King, John D. Clark, 
Rufus H. Newton, John R. Nichols, George F. Campbell, 
Emory B. F. Draper, and Frederick A. Blake, be a 
Committee of Arrangements, to carry out the wishes of the 
church in the proposed celebration. 

In accordance with this action, commemorative exer- 
cises were held in the forenoon and afternoon of the 
appointed day ; with a goodly attendance on the part of 
the church and the descendants of Dr. Green ; members 
of the family being present from Worcester, Providence, 
New York, St. Louis, and other places. 

Much interest was added to the occasion by the unveil- 
ing of a very beautiful brass tablet, which had been 
placed on the wall at the right of the pulpit, in memory 
of Dr. Green, a view of which is given in the frontis- 
piece. 

Near the close of the exercises, on motion of the Hon. 
Andrew H. Green, a copy of the historical discourse was 
requested for publication. At a later time, in accordance 
with a general desire, the Committee of Arrangements 



4 PREFATORY NOTE. 

requested all the addresses delivered on the occasion for 
publication with it, and, with a single exception, they 
have been furnished, and are here given a wider hearing. 

The sermon preached by the pastor on the following 
Sunday, has also been added in an appendix, as in 
keeping with the proceedings, and a completion of their 
retrospect. 

In consequence of the length of the historical discourse, 
only portions of it were read on the occasion of its 
delivery, but the whole is now printed with some facts 
discovered since the commemoration day, inserted in 
their places. 

Much care and painstaking have been given to the 
verification of references ; and they are here presented ad 
verbum et ad liter am, in order that the reader may be 
placed as near as possible to the original documents. 
Numerous foot-notes have been added to the historical 
discourse, sometimes to show the authority on which 
statements have been made, sometimes to give further 
information on certain points than is given in the text, 
and sometimes to indicate sources of still ampler 
information. 



Order of Exercises. 



Call to remembrance the former days.'''' — Heb. x.: 32. 



FRIDAY FORENOON. 

IO o'clock. 



1. Organ Prelude and Doxology. 

2. Invocation. By the Pastor. 

3. Reading of the Scriptures. 

Rev. T. W. Nickerson. 

4. Prayer. Rev. J. J. Miller, of Worcester. 

5. Presentation of Mural Tablet, in memory of 

the first pastor, Dr. Thomas Green. Samuel 
S. Green, A, M., of Worcester. 

6. Hymn. Tune, Bond, 

" Oh, where are kings and empires now, 
Of old that went and came." 

7. Historical Discourse. 

By the Pastor, H. C. Estes, D. D. 

8. Original Hymn. By Rev. D. F. Estes, of Holden. 

Tune, Migdol. 

9. Prayer. C. M. Bowers, D. D., of Clinton. 
10. Benediction. 



ORDER OF EXERCISES. 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 

1.30 o'clock. 



i. Organ Prelude. 

2. Anthem. " Before Jehovah's Awful Throne." 

Denmark 

3. Prayer. Rev. Leighton Williams, of New York. 

4. Addresses. 

Hon. Andrew H. Green, of New York. 
Samuel S. Green, A. M., of Worcester. 
Rev. Leighton Williams, of New York. 

5. Anthem. " Glorious things of thee are spoken." 

Stonghton 

6. Addresses. 

B. D. Marshall, D. D., of Worcester. 
Rev. D. F. Estes, of Holden. 
Rev. A. H. Coolidge, of Leicester. 
Rev. T. W. Nickerson, of Leicester. 
Rev. Samuel May, of Leicester, 
Mr. Caleb A. Wall, of Worcester. 
Hon. Charles A. Denny, of Leicester. 

7. Anthem. "Be joyful in God all ye lands." 

8. Prayer. Rev. A. H. Coolidge. 

9. Benediction. By the Pastor. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



BY THE PASTOR. 



Brethen, Sisters, and Friends : 

It is my privilege, on behalf of the church, to bid you 
welcome. Welcome this auspicious, magnificent autumn 
day. Welcome its grateful, soul-inspiring memories. 
Welcome all those who share them, or take pleasure in 
them. To all her children and all her friends here 
gathered, from near and far, this church extends a most 
cordial welcome, and hearty congratulations. With desire 
she has desired to see this day, and seeing it, and seeing 
you, she is glad. 

Such occasions as this come only seldom, — like golden 
weddings, only once in a life-time. Not many of us have 
ever before had the privilege of attending a celebration 
of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the 
founding of a church ; nor shall we ever attend another 
such celebration here, though some of the children and 
youth may be here in fifty years. Therefore we wish to 
make the most of this occasion to-day, and putting all 
our heart into our greeting, we bid you welcome to the 
old ancestral home, — to friendly and fraternal greetings, 
— and to the quickening memories and inspirations of the 
day, hoping that it will be such an occasion of joy and 
thanksgiving to you all, that you will always delight to 
remember it. 

I now bid you welcome to words that you will be 
pleased to hear from Mr. Samuel S. Green, of Worcester, 
to whom as a descendant of our first pastor, Dr. Thomas 
Green, and to all who bear that honored name, or are 
kindred to it, we extend an especial welcome. 



ADDRESS OF MR. SAMUEL S. GREEN. 



PRESENTING THE MURAL TABLET. 



Pastor, deacons, members of the church and society of 
this venerable parish : The descendants of Thomas 
Green join with you to-day joyfully in celebrating the 
one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of 
this society and of the beginning of the ministry of their 
distinguished ancestor. It is with pride and gratitude 
that we remember that the blood of so able and good a 
man flows in our veins. That it does so has been evident 
for several generations. Thomas Green was an eminent 
physician as well as a successful clergyman. It is very 
noticeable that a large proportion of his descendants have 
been doctors or druggists. I can speak now of only one 
branch of the family. John Green, his son, the first Dr. 
John Green, of Worcester, while inheriting the aptitude 
of his father for the practice of medicine, was known also 
as a man of marked piety. His grandson, the second 
physician of the name of John Green, in Worcester, was 
a skillful practitioner, but, according to the testimony of 
his biographer, Oliver Fisk, his delight in the practice of 
medicine came even more from the consciousness of the 
good he was doing to his fellow-men than from enjoyment 
in trying to penetrate the mysteries of medical science 
and in practising the art of medicine. 

The great-grandson of Thomas Green, the founder of 
the Free Public Library in Worcester, was, perhaps the 



IO ADDRESS OF SAMUEL S. GREEN. 

most capable medical man in central Massachusetts. He 
was esteemed, however, for the possession of other 
qualities besides those which made him an able doctor, 
and it seemed natural to many of his patients to speak 
of him as the "good physician." To come down one 
more generation, my brother, Dr. John Green, of St. 
Louis, Missouri, is the most distinguished practitioner in 
respect to diseases of the eye, and the ablest opthalmic 
surgeon in that portion of our country of which St. Louis 
is a centre. I am sorry that he is not here to-day to 
perform the duty which has been assigned to me. He is 
represented here, however, by his family, and among 
others by his son, who bears the name of John Green, 
and whose tastes and capabilities seem to show that 
should he become a physician, he would keep up the 
medical reputation of the family. The youngest member 
of my branch of the Green family, the son of my younger 
brother, James Green, has been named Thomas, in 
memory of the man whose virtues we commemorate 
to-day. 

That one of the descendants of Thomas Green who, 
perhaps, reproduced most conspicuously features of his 
character, is his great-grandson, the late Samuel Fiske 
Green, of Worcester. After graduating at the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York city, moved by 
a strong desire to follow in the steps of his Master, and 
do service as a missionary, he became a missionary-doctor 
and spent almost a quarter of a century in ministering 
personally to the wants of both the bodies and the souls 
of the Tamil population of the island of Ceylon. After 
his return to Worcester, he continued to translate medical 
treatises into the Tamil language until the time of his 
death. Besides practising extensively while in Ceylon, he 
also established there a medical school, whose pupils were 
very numerous. Their services have been of the greatest 
value in Ceylon and portions of India. But I must refrain 
from saying more at this time, for an hour later in the 



ADDRESS OF SAMUEL S. GREEN. II 

day has been assigned to members of the family of 
Thomas Green, to mention facts and express thoughts 
and sentiments naturally called up by this occasion. 

It remains for me to perform the duty which has been 
assigned to me, and as the great-great-grandson of 
Thomas Green, to present to you the memorial tablet 
near me, in the name and as the gift of his great- 
grandson, Andrew Haswell Green, of New York city. 

On the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of 
the naming of the town of Worcester, I had the pleasure 
of sitting on the platform in Mechanics Hall by the side 
of Professor Francis A. March, a distinguished son of 
Worcester, a well-known Anglo-Saxon scholar and a 
former instructor in our own Academy here in Leicester. 
After Senator Hoar had pronounced the noble oration, 
which was so prominent a feature in the celebration, I 
turned to Professor March and asked him how he liked it. 
He expressed himself as having been much interested 
and pleased, and remarked that he had been particularly 
struck by the feeling of filial piety which animated it. 
We all think more of a man who to other qualities adds 
affection for the town in which he was born or lives, and 
interest in the place which was the home of his ancestors, 
and in his ancestors themselves. May the descendants 
of Thomas Green never cease to remember with interest 
this village of Greenville, or to be proud and grateful for 
having had an ancestor to whom they can trace so much 
of whatever is good in their intellectual and moral and 
spiritual tendencies. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



BY HIRAM CUSHMAN ESTES, D. D. 



On occasions like this, the field of discourse, though 
not unlimited, is wide. That part of it in which I have 
chosen to glean to-day, is the history of this church, 
uneventful as it has been. Many things that I would like 
to say, must of necessity be left unsaid. As Chaucer 
said, at the beginning of the Knight's Tale, 

" I have, God wot, a large feld to ere ; 
And weke ben the oxen in my plow. 
The remenant of my tale is long ynow." 

One hundred and fifty years ago, our good old town of 
Leicester was young. Only twenty-five years had passed 
since the General Court had confirmed the title of the 
original proprietors of the township, and voted that the 
town should be called Leicester, after an ancient and 
interesting town of that name in Leicestershire, England. 
Twenty-four years had passed since, within half a mile 
of the place where we are now assembled and met 
together, the first settlement in the town had been made, 
and the first clearing opened, to let in the sun. Twenty- 
one years had passed since the Greens, — followed in a 
few months by the Dennys and Southworths, — had come 
to do their part in bringing in civilization, and making 
gardens and palaces in this wilderness of the Nipmucks. 

The town was fortunate in the character of its first 
settlers. They were men fit to lay foundations for such a 



14 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

town as Leicester. They were men of intelligence, 
foresight, courage, endurance. They had iron in their 
blood. They had the faith of the Pilgrims in their souls. 
They believed that they were in a world that had a " God 
in it, over it, and under it," and that they were called 
and girded of him to do his work. 

" Ah, what intrepid souls were they, 
Who cleared these trackless woods away ! 
What tireless sinews, bone and brawn, 
That smote the trees from early dawn 
Till daylight's latest rays were gone ! 
No whining eight-hour men were they, 
Who feared the chill of early day ! 
They kept the pinch of want away, 
With industry and watchful care, 
Till these had brought them generous fare, — 
Else had these mighty forest trees 
Still stood to buffet storm and breeze." 

Capt. Samuel Green settled in this part of the town, 
now called Greenville. Here he built his house, a grist- 
mill and a saw-mill, all within a stone's throw of this 
eminence on which our church edifice stands. He was 
an able, enterprising, influential man. At the first town 
meeting of which we have any record, he was chosen 
moderator, first selectman, and grand juror ; and he held 
such offices of trust and responsibility till his death, in 
1736, at the age of sixty-five years. Of him the historian 
of our town, Gov. Emory Washburn, says: " Among 
those to whom the town of Leicester owed its progress 
and character, the memory of Capt. Green ought ever to 
be held in grateful respect." 1 

At his death Capt. Green left seven daughters and one 
son. The son is known in our traditions and history as 
Dr. Thomas Green. Gov. Washburn says that he " was 
a more prominent and leading man than his father;" 2 and 



1 Historical Sketches of the Town of Leicester, Massachusetts, during the first century 
from its settlement. By Emory Washburn, p. 367. 

2 Historical Sketches, p. 367. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 1 5 

we may especially say that to him our church is more 
indebted than to any other person ever connected with.it, 
or friendly to it. This church was formed largely through 
his influence. 

Of the circumstances that led to its formation, and of 
all its early history, but little is known. The earliest date 
in our oldest book of records is this, " in the year 1783, 
May." Therefore, so far as our records are concerned, 
the history of the church during its first forty-five years 
is a blank ; and other sources of information concerning 
its fortunes in those years are few and scattered, — not 
easy to find, nor fruitful when found. But we know that 
there were persons of Baptist sentiments in Massachu- 
setts from very early times. 

Cotton Mather says, that 

" Some few of these people [antipedobaptists] have been among the 
planters of New England from the beginning." l 



Gov. Winthrop says, that in 1643, 

" The lady Moodye, a wise and anciently religious woman, being taken 
with the error of denying baptism to infants, was dealt withal by many of 
the elders and others, and admonished by the church of Salem, (whereof she 
was a member,) but persisting still, and to avoid further trouble, etc., she 
removed to the Dutch against the advice of all her friends. Many others, 
infected with anabaptism, removed thither also. She was after excommuni- 
cated." 2 

Also he says that in the next year (1644), 

" Anabaptistry increased and spread in the country, which occasioned the 
magistrates, at the last court, to draw an order for banishing such as 
continued obstinate after due conviction." 3 



1 Magnalia Christi, Americana; or the Ecclesiastical History of New England from its 
First Planting in the year 1620, unto the year of our Lord 1698. By Colton Mather, D. D., 
F. R. S. First American Edition, 1820: Vol. II., p. 459. 

2 The History of New England from 1630 to 1649. By John Winthrop, Esq., first 
Governor of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay. With Notes by James Savage. Vol. 
II., pp. 148-9. 

3 History of New England, Vol. II., p. 212. 



l6 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

Hubbard says, that 

" About the year 1644 the Anabaptists increased much in the Massachu- 
setts Colony of New England." x 

In 165 1 John Clarke and Obadiah Holmes had an 
experience which Cotton Mather may have had in mind 
when he wrote the words, 

"Some of our churches used, it may be, a little too much of cogency 
towards the brethren, which would weakly turn their backs when infa?its 
were brought forth to be baptized, in the congregation." 2 

In 1654, the first President of Harvard College, Henry 
Dunster,* had become a Baptist, and, for that reason, was 
compelled to resign his office. Cotton Mather says, 

"His unhappy entanglement in the snares of Anabafitism, filled the 
overseers with uneasie fears, lest the students by his means, should come to 
be ensnared : Which uneasiness was at length so signified unto him, that on 
October 24, 1654, he presented unto the overseers an instrument under his 
hands, wherein he resigned his Presidentship, and they accepted his resigna- 



a President Dunster was born in England, probably in 1612, and he was 
educated at the University of Cambridge, Magdalen College, at the same 
time that Milton, Cudworth, and Jeremy Taylor, were students at that 
University. He received his degree of A. B. in 1630, and that of A. M. in 
1634. He came to New England in 1640, and is placed by Cotton Mather 
in his "first class" of ministers, or "such as were in the actual exercise of 
their ministry when they left England." He became President of the 
College on the 27th of August, 1640, and during fourteen years his 
services were, President Quincy says, "well directed, unwearied, and 
altogether inestimable." He was spoken of by Edward Johnson as " one 
fitted from the Lord for the work." Cotton Mather calls him "an able 
man ; " a " learned and worthy man ; " a " good man," and a man of " ex- 
cellent spirit." Plainly it grieved him much that such a man should become 
entangled in "the snares of Anabaptism," or be "unaccountably fallen into 
the briars of Antipedobaptism," as once his form of expression is. In 
another passage he says, that "wonderfully falling into the errors of 

1 A General History of New England, from the Discovery to MDCLXXX. By the 
Rev. William Hubbard, p. 347. 

2 Magnalia, Vol. II., p. 459. See also Article on "Dr. John Clarke." By Rev. C E. 
Barrows, in Baptist Quarterly, Vol VI. (1872), p. 481-502. 

3 Magnalia, Vol. II., p. 10. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 1 7 

But, in 1663, a Baptist church was formed in Swansea, 
the first in Massachusetts. Two years later, another was 
formed in Charlestown, but soon removed to Boston, 
where it is now known as the First Baptist church in 
Boston. In 1693, a third church was formed among the 
Indians, at Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard. From that 
time it was almost forty years before another was formed 
in Rehoboth in 1732. Three years later, in 1735, another 
was formed in Sutton. The next year, in 1736, another, 
known now as the church in Wales, was formed in 
Brimfield. Again, the next year in 1737, another was 
formed in Bellingham. And again, the next year, in 
1738, this church, the eighth in Massachusetts, was 
formed here in Leicester. 

Between this church and that in Sutton, there was a 
connection not indicated in what I have said. Some of 
the members of that church lived here in Leicester. The 
members here were regarded as a branch of that church. 
One of the members residing here was ordained as its 
associate pastor ; and three years after its formation the 
members here were formed into a distinct and independ- 
ent church. This we learn from Isaac Backus, who was 
personally acquainted with the first pastor of this church, 



Antipedobaptism, the overseers of the college became solicitous, that the 
students there might not be unawares ensnared in the errors of their presi- 
dent. Wherefore they labored with an extreme agony, either to rescue the 
good man from his own mistake, or to restrain him from imposing them upon 
the hope of the flgck, of both which, finding themselves to despair, they did 
as quietly as they could procure his removal." And this, President Quincy 
speaks of, as the consummation of " Dunster's Martyrdom." It is only in 
recent times that men have been disposed to do justice to his great ability, 
learning, and moral excellence, though, as Dr. Palfrey has said, " His ' life,' 
no man doubted, was of the noblest and purest." * 



1 See History of New England. By John Gorham Palfrey, Vol. II., pp. 397, 398. 
History of Harvard University. By Josiah Quincy, LL.D., pp. 14-22. Mather's Magnalia, 
Vol. I., p. 367, and Vol. II., pp. 10, 78. Chronicles of Massachusetts Bay. By Alexander 
Young, pp. 552, 553, note. Annals of the American Pulpit. By William B. Sprague, 

D. D., Vol. I., pp. 125, J 26. A History of the Baptists. By Thomas Armitage, D. D., 
LL.D., pp. 697-698. Life of Henry Dunster. By Jeremiah Chaplin, D. D. 



1 8 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

who had visited him here, and who had abundant oppor- 
tunity to know the facts in the case. He says, 

" On September 16, 1735, a Baptist church was constituted at Sutton ; and 
September 28, 1737, Benjamin Marsh and Thomas Green were ordained 
joint pastors of it. The former was from Salem, and the latter from Maiden ; 
being an early planter in Leicester. And September 28, 1738, by mutual 
agreement, the brethren at Leicester, became a church by themselves, and 
Green their pastor." 1 

From a paper now in possession of the church, it 
appears that Thomas Green was one of the constituent 
members of that church in Sutton. It is a covenant 
entered into at the organization of that church. It is 
dated September 16th, 1735. It is signed "Thomas 
Green, &c.," the " &c." indicating that other names were 
attached to the original paper, but omitted by the copyist, 
for <though perhaps made from the original, it is evidently 
a copy and not the original paper. The paper reads as 
follows : 

"(A CHH. COVENANT, &c.) (A. D. 1735.) 

" Wee the Subscribers holding only to Believers Baptism : and having 
been so far agreed in the first Principles of the Doctrines of Christ, that we 
have submitted our Selves unto Christian Baptism ; and do now Consider 
that we have, by our baptismal Vows, laid our Selves under strong Obligation 
to Serve God, and one another. And that we might be under better 
capacity to Serve God, and to be helps one to another, we now Imbody our 
Selves into a Particular Church : that we may have the Power of Church 
Government : That we may by a major vote in the Church, Chuse Church 
Officers, and take in Members ; and by the same Power, upon sufficient 
Reason, may Put them out of Office in the Church again : and lay Members 
under Suspension, or Cast them out of the Church. And for these reasons, 
We now make a Solemn Covenant one with another, in the Presents of the 
Everlasting God, First) to take the one, true, and living God, Father, Son, 
and Spirit, to be our God, and to look unto him at all times, for help and 
assistance, that we may perform all those Duties that he has enjoined upon 
us : and that we may be kept from all Sin and Error. (2ly.) We take the 
Scriptures of the holy Prophets, and Apostles, to be our Rule of Faith and 
Obedience. (3ly.) We Promise, one to another, to Worship God, according 



1 "A History of New England, with Particular Reference to the Denomination of 
Christians called Baptists. By Isaac Backus. Second Edition, with Notes by David 
Weston. Vol. II., p. 31. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 19 

to the Rules of the Gospel. (4ly.) We Promise, that in the Church 
whereunto we do belong, we will endeavor to keep the Worship of God pure 
from human inventions. (5ly.) We Promise, to take the watch care, and 
Over-sight one of another : That if a brother, or sister should be overtaken 
in a Fault, to Restore Such an one in the Spirit of meekness. (61y.) We 
Promise, that as much as in us lays, we will indeavor to keep the Unity of the 
Spirit, in the Bond of Peace. And that, we will indeavor to live together in 
Love, Peace, and Charity, So long as God in his Good Providence shall 
keep us together. These, and all other Christian duties, we Promise, by 
Divine assistance to perform ; Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher 
of our Faith. 

Dated September 16th, 1735. ' THOMAS GREEN, 

&c." 

We are thankful for that old, worn, time-yellowed scrap 
of paper. We prize it as some prize Anglo-Saxon or 
Etruscan monuments, or Assyrian or Babylonian records. 
It shows that Thomas Green was a leader in the work of 
forming that church in Sutton, one hundred and fifty- 
three years ago. But we would like to know how many 
and who they were that entered into that covenant with 
him. The wish though is vain. There is no Oedipus to 
solve this riddle of the sphinx. There is no record of 
earth to tell what names are veiled and hidden by this 
tantalizing "&c.;" nor shall we know until we know what 
names are "written in heaven." 

But when that church in Sutton was formed, Dr. Green 
was not alone in holding Baptist sentiments here in 
Leicester. Of this fact we have proof positive, though it 
comes from a remote and unexpected source. It is the 
testimony of a young preacher, who visited these towns 
and baptized in each of them, three years before that 
church was formed. He is a good witness. His name was 
John Comer. He was born in Boston, in 1704, and was 
educated partly at Harvard college and partly at Yale. 
While at Harvard he made profession of religion, and 
united with the Congregational church in Cambridge. 
About four years later, he became a Baptist, and joined 
the first church in Boston, having been baptized by his 
uncle, Rev. Elisha Callender, January 31st, 1725. In the 



20 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

same year he began to preach. The next year he was 
ordained as colleague pastor of the first church in 
Newport, R. I. Six years later he gathered the church in 
Rehoboth, where he died in 1734, when he was not yet 
thirty years old. As a scholar and preacher, he was a 
man of great eminence and promise, and his early and 
lamented death gave him a place with John Summerfield, 
Joseph S. Buckminster, William Bradford Homer and 
Kingman A. Nott, for whom thousands wept when they 
died untimely. 

Mr. Comer left a diary, which consists of two thin folio 
manuscripts of about sixty pages each. From that diary 
we learn that, on the 18th of June, 1732, he baptized four 
persons in Sutton, whose names were Thomas Richardson, 
Daniel Dennie, Elisha Nevers and Martha Green ; and 
two days later, on the 20th of the same month, he 
baptized four persons here, in Leicester, whose names 
were Joshua Nichols, Abiathar Vinton, Bathsheba Nevers 
and Lydia Vinton. So much we learn from Mr. Comer's 
diary. 1 And from Gov. Washburn's History of our Town, 
and a Genealogical Sketch of the Green Family, we learn 
that these eight persons were all residents of this town of 
Leicester ; — that they were living here at the time of Mr. 
Comer's visit, and also when this church in Leicester was 
formed. Farther, of those eight persons, four, Thomas 
Richardson, Elisha Nevers, Joshua Nichols and Abiathar 
Vinton, were brothers-in-law of Thomas Green ; two, 
Bathsheba Nevers and Lydia Vinton, were his sisters ; 
Martha Green was his wife; and Daniel Denny was the 
person who is known and honored as "the common 
ancestor of all of that name in Leicester." If Mr. Denny, 
needs any identification, it is given by Backus, who says 
that he was " brother to Mr. Prince's wife of Boston ;" — 
and Gov. Washburn says that " Rev. Thomas Prince, . . . 
minister of the Old South Church in Boston, married 

1 Backus' History, Vol. II., pp. 10-31. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 21 

Deborah, sister of Mr. Denny in Leicester." a From our 
town records it appears that Daniel Denny was Town Clerk 
three years, Representative, three years, and Selectman, 
seventeen years ; Joshua Nichols was Town Clerk six 
years, and Selectman three years ; and Thomas Richard- 
son was Selectman eight years. This shows what was 
the kind of material used in the making of this church, 
and the class of persons who were ready to band them- 
selves together in its fellowship, one hundred and fifty 
years ago to-day. 

At the time when this church was formed, and for a 
long time before and after, the Baptists were suffering 
many disabilities and distresses. From 1692 to 1728, they 
were, with the exception of those who lived in Boston and 
a few other places, taxed to build the meeting houses and 
support the ministers of the Standing Order settled by the 
towns, as if they had been attendants on their meetings. 
From 1728 to 1770, provision was made from time to 
time, by exemption laws, to relieve them, on certain 
conditions, from these burdens ; but that relief was only 
partial and very unsatisfactory, and not till 1833 was our 
Bill of Rights so amended that church and state were 
completely separated, and liberty of conscience was 
secured to all. It was the misfortune of the " Standing 
Order," in those times, to occupy a position that led them 
to manifest the spirit of the age in resisting the demands 
that were made for religious liberty by the Baptists ; and 
now that liberty of conscience is secured to all and 
respected by all, the old position of the State authorities 
and their treatment of the Dissenters of their day, 
Baptists and Quakers, is regretted and deplored by 

*" Deborah Denny came to America in 1717, andkept 

house for her brother Daniel in Leicester, Mass., until her marriage with 
Rev. Thomas Prince, the New England Annalist and Pastor of the Old 
South Church in Boston. They were married in Leicester, Oct. 20, 17 19." * 

1 Genealogy of the Denny Family in England and America, p. 215. 



22 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

Congregationalists no less than others. This was shown 
at the Centennial of the Warren Association, in 1867, 
when the pastor of a Congregational church in Providence, 
R. I., Leonard Swain, D.D., said: "You Baptists fought 
the battle of religious liberty, and we all enjoy the fruits 
of the victory." 

Here in Leicester the Baptists seem to have been less 
distressed than in any other part of the Commonwealth. 
If any member of this church was ever subjected to 
arrest or the seizure of his goods, for the payment of 
church rates, the fact has not come to my knowledge. 

In January after this church was formed, the attention 
of the town was called to the fact that " Doctor Green 
refused to pay any rates," and the question was raised 
whether the constables should be directed "to execute 
their warrants to recover the same or other ways what 
they would do in that affair ;" and it was " voted not to 
abate Dr. Green's rate," but two and a half years later, on 
the 27th of June, 1741, the town, in town meeting "voted 
that all Doctor Green's rates be abated for the time past." 
So that question was quickly and finally settled by 
Leicester, in a way that gives her native born and her 
adopted children, pleasure and pride. But our town 
records contain several exemption certificates filed in 
later years by persons connected with Doctor Green's 
church and congregation. There are fifteen of them, a 

« These certificates are as follows : — 

Leicester, february 7, 1744-5. — tr " s ma y Certify that William Wickor 
and Benjamin Pudney & Thomas Jones and Joseph Trumbel and Nathaniel 
Jones profess themselves to be anabaptists as it appeared from two prin- 
cipal members of that denomination. 

Leicester, December, 6, 1745-6. — this may Certify That Josiah Powers 
& Jonathan Pudney profess themselves to be anabaptists. 

Leicester, May, 12, 1748. — This may Certify that Ebenezer Toleman 
profest himself to be anabaptist. 

May i: 1752: — These may Certify whome it may Concern That Those 
whose names that are under written do Conciancusly attend the Baptis 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 2% 

bearing different dates from 1744 to 1761, each declaring 
that the persons therein named, " profess themselves to be 
anabaptists," or that they " do usually and frequently 

Meeting att Elder Thomas Green's (Joseph Trumbel, James Trumble, 
Samuel Green, Samuel Stower junr., Joseph Trumble jun., Andrew Morgain. 

September, 23, 1752. — Thomas Newhall, Jonathan Newhall, Joseph 
Washburn, Joseph Shaw, Daniel Denny, Nathanel Green, jun., Richard 
Southgate, junr., Benjamin Sanderson, Benjamin Dix, Jacob Briant, Jacob 
Wickor, Samuel Caul & Thomas Denny. 

April, 30, 1753. — this may Certify whome it may Concern that Robart 
Crage of Leicester is entred a bapitis who attends Elder Thomas Green's 
Meeting. 

June 22, 1754. — these are to inform all people whome it may Concern 
that we the subscribers do attend the annabaptis meeting under the pastoral 
Care of Elder Thomas Green and desire the Liberty the law gives. 

THOMAS GREEN, jun. 
Test SAMUEL GREEN. ABIATHAR VINTON, 

JAMES TRUMBEL. EBENEZER LAMB, 

THOMAS WHITTEMORE, 
SOLOMON ROOD. 

October, 4, 1754 : these are to Certify that Abijah Stower has profesd him- 
self to be annabipts by the approbation of Samuel Green & James Trumbel. 

March, 18, 1755 these may Certify whome it may Concern yt Jonathan 
Stone has proffesed himself to be annabipts by the approbation of James 
Trumbel & Samuel Green. 

This may Certify whome it may Concern that Erasmus Babbit has profest 
himself to be anabaptiss by the approbation of Samuel Green & James 
Trumbel. 

august, 14, 1756. 

Leicester, October 31, 1758. — This may Certify whome it may Concern 
that John Parish and Jonathan Pudney of Leicester Doth usaly & fre- 
quntly attend the annebaptis meeting under the pasteral Care of Elder 
Thomas Green & do desire the liberty the Law gives in being clered from 
paying Rates to those of other way of thinking attest we who are chosen 
by the Church to give Receits to Cary in the names. 

Elder THOMAS GREEN, 
JACOB WHIPLEL, 
SAMUEL GREEN. 

Leicester august 21, 1759 this may Certify all peopel to whome it 
may concern that Samuel Richardson Doth yousaly & frequenly attend the 
anebaptist meeting under the pasteral care of Elder Thomas Green & Doth 
desire the liberty the law gives to be clered from paying of Rates to those 



24 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



attend the anabaptist meeting under the pastoral care of 
Elder Thomas Green, and do desire the liberty the law 
gives in being cleared from paying rates to those of other 



of other way of thinking attest wee who are chosen by the Church to give 

Receipts. 

Elder THOMAS GREEN, 
SOLOMON HOLDMAN, 
SAML GREEN. 

This may Certify all Parsons to whome it may Concern that Nathaniel 
Tolman & Soloman Green do usaly & frequntly attend the annabaptis 
meeting under the pastral Care of Elder thomas Green & do Desire the 
Leberty the law gives in being cleard from paying of Rates to those of 
other ways of thinking attest we who are chosen By the church to give 
Certificates to those ho carry in the names. 
Leicester, September, 4 1760 Elder THOMAS GREEN, 

THOMAS HOLDMAN, 
SAMUEL GREEN. 

This may Certify all People whom it may Concern that Joseph Trumble, 
Robert Craig, Samuel Green, Thomas Green, Solomon Green, Abel Torrey, 
Joshua Smith & Samuel Richardson, all of Leicester do usually & fre- 
quently attend the anabaptists meeting under the Pastoral Care of Elder 
Thos. Green. 

Signd, 
Leicester august 28th 1761 Elder THOS GREEN, 

THOS HOLDMAN, 
SAML GREEN. 

Wee the subscribers Inhabitants in the Town of Leicester being of the 
Persuasion called anabaptists & constantly assembling with a society of such 
Desire that our names may be entered in the Towns Book & Desire that wee 
may be exempted from being Taxed in the Rates to the Ministers in said 
Town. 



Signd, 
Leicester august 20 1761 
To THOS. STEEL, Esq., 
Town Clerk. 



THOS NEWHALL, 
JONAT NEWHALL, 
BENJ. SANDERSON, 
RICHARD SOUTHGATE, 
BENJ. DIX, 
JACOB BRIANT, 
JOSEPH SHAW, 
THOS DENNY, 
BENJ. SANDERSON, jun. 
NATHANL GREEN, 
JACOB WICKER, 
NATHAN SNOW, 
SAML CALL. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 25 

ways of thinking." The word "anabaptist" was not one 
that the Baptists chose or used in speaking of themselves; 
they rather disclaimed and repudiated it as inappro- 
priate and offensive. A protest against the name was 
made in the records of the First Baptist Church in Boston, 
which begin with these words, viz. : 

"The 28th of the 3rd Month 1665, in Charlestowne, The Churche of Christ, 
Commonly (though falsely) called Anabaptists, were gathered together, And 
Entered into Fellowship & Communion each with other, Ingaiging to Walke 
together in all the appointments of there Lord & Master the Lord Jesus 
Christ as Farre as hee should bee pleased to make known his mind & will 
unto them by his word & spirit." 

Such protests against the name had been made by the 
Baptists long before, a and they were made afterwards. 
But the offensive term was used in the exempting 



a " They [the Swiss Baptists] are commonly characterized as ' Anabaptists ' 
by friends and foes ; yet this name was especially offensive to them, as it 
charged them with ^-baptizing those whom they regarded as un-baptized 

and because it was intended as a stigma The London Confession, 

1646, protests that the English Baptists were ' commonly though unjustly 
called Anabaptists.' " * 

"To the governor, who [in 1651] had upbraided him, [John Clarke] with 
the name of Anabaptist, he replied, ' I am neither an Anabaptist, nor a 
Pedobaptist, nor a Catabaptist.' " 2 

" The name ' Baptists ' is both a protest against the misnomer ' Anabap- 
tists,' and a euphemism, for ' Baptized.' ' Commonly, but most 

falsely, called Anabaptists,' say our English progenitors, in their Persecu- 
tion for Religion Judged and Condemned, published in 1615. 'Unjustly 
called Anabaptists,' say they in their address to the king, 1620. What- 
ever their baptism might be to others, to them it was no ana-baptism. 
They did not re-baptize, they simply baptized; they were not Anabaptists, 

but only Baptists. The title ' Baptists,' so far as I can judge, is of 

uncertain date ' Once a member among the Baptists, , appears on 

the title of a book or pamphlet published in 1655, which is my earliest trace 
of the name. It is here, however, without any appearance of novelty." 3 

1 History of the Baptists. By Thomas Armitage, D. D., p. 327. 

2 Baptist Quarterly, Vol. VI., p. 491. Art. " Dr. John Clarke," by Rev. C E. Barrows. 

3 Historical Vindications. A Discourse on the Province and Uses of Baptist History. 
By Sewall S. Cutting, D. D., pp. 105-107. 



26 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



act," and our brethren were compelled to use it, if they 
would have the relief which it offered. Attached to these 
certificates are sixty-two names, of which nineteen are 
repetitions, the same persons filing their certificates in 
different years, and forty-three are the names of different 
persons, namely : 



William Wicker, 
Benjamin Pudney, 
Thomas Jones, 
Joseph Trumbel, 
Nathanael Jones, 
Josiah Powers, 
Jonathan Pudney, 
Ebenezer Tolman, 
James Trumble, 
Samuel Green, 
Samuel Stower, Jr., 
Joseph Trumbel, Jr., 
Andrew Morgain, 
Thomas Newhall, 
Jonathan Newhall, 
Joseph Washburn, 
Joseph Shaw, 
Daniel Denny, 
Nathanael Green, Jr. 
Richard Southgate, Jr., 
Benjamin Sanderson, 
Benjamin Dix, 



Jacob Briant, 
Jacob Wicker, 
Samuel Call, 
Thomas Denny/ 
Robert Craig, 
Thomas Green, Jr., 
Abiathar Vinton, 
Ebenezer Lamb, 
Thomas Whittemore, 
Solomon Rood, 
Abijah Stower, 
Jonathan Stone, 
Erasmus Babbitt, 
John Parish, 
Samuel Richardson, 
Nathanael Tolman, 
Solomon Green, 
Abel Torrey, 
Joshua Smith, 
Benjamin Sanderson, Jr., 
Nathan Snow, 



a The Title of the Act of 1757 was this: — "An Act further to exempt per- 
sons commonly called Quakers and Anabaptists from paying Ministerial 
Taxes." x 

b Thomas Denny was the son of Daniel, the first of the name who settled 

in Leicester, He must have been a man of more than ordinary 

ability, and of an education superior to most of his contemporaries, who 



1 The Charters and General Laws of the Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay, 
p. 782. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 2? 

and these names copied from those certificates in our 
town records, furnish nearly all the information we have 
as to the persons who were connected with this church 
and congregation during almost all the first fifty years of 
its history. 

Many of our older churches suffered much in their 
earlier history, from the want of suitable places of 
worship. It was the business of the towns, as such, to 
build the meeting-houses of the Standing Order, but not 
for the Baptists. Therefore they were compelled, often 
for years, to hold their meetings in private houses, barns, 
school-houses, and wherever they could. But this church 
was blessed with a convenient house of worship almost 
from the first. As early as 1747 there was a meeting- 
house standing on this spot which has been thus occupied 
ever since. How much earlier it was built we do not 
know. But I have seen an old record in which under date 
of May 1, 1747, were written these words : 

" At a properrietes metting of the Baptis church it was voted that every 
man that has a pue shall pay the elder Thomas Green for building of his 
pue. 

Attest, SAMUEL GREEN, Clerk." 

Also, on the same page was a memorandum of the 
particular pews chosen by Elder Thomas Green, Josiah 
Powers, John Thompson, Dea. Nathanael Jones, Thomas 
Jones, Joseph Trumble and Henry Merritt. Still further 
on the same page, was a declaration bearing the same 
date, and signed by these seven persons, as follows : 

were brought up, as he was, in a country town. He held many places of 
responsibility and trust in the town and county, and early engaged in the 
controversy with the mother-country. Some of the spirited and statesman- 
like resolutions and instructions adopted by the town, .... were from his 
pen. He was, too, in correspondence with the leading public men in Boston 
and its vicinity, and was regarded by them as a wise and patriotic counsellor. 
For five years in succession, next previous to his death, he represented the 
town in the General Court, and was a member of the first Provincial 

Congress in 1774 '. Soon after its convening, Col. Denny was 

obliged to return home on account of sickness ; which terminated his life, 



28 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

" Wee whos names are under written do covenant and agree Not to 
Dispose of the pues we own to any out of the society without giving the 
society the offer of them first paying as much as another man will. 

Witness our hands, &c." 

From this and other evidence in the case, it appears 
that Doctor Green was the principal proprietor of the 
house, that its grounds were given by him, and its frame 
was raised and covered at his expense ; and that those 
who desired pews in it, were, in accordance with a custom 
of the time, allowed to have them on condition of paying 
him for building them in such places as they might 
choose around the walls, the remaining space in the 
centre being filled wholly or in part with other seats. 

It also appears that originally the house was very 
nearly square, thirty feet long by twenty-eight feet 
wide; "with the gallery beams fraimed crosswise," and a 
door opening into the house from the side. After having 
stood thirty-two years or more, that house was repaired, 
for I have seen an account of " What was don on the 
meeting house in the year 1779," amounting to upwards 
of three hundred and fifty pounds. Again, after much 
deliberation, it was repaired in 1824, with an addition of 
eight feet in front, and the inside was finished in a style 
that must have been very good for its time. 

But with the lapse of time all things earthly grow old 
and decay. After three generations had worshipped 
within its walls, that house became old, dilapidated, and 
unfitted for its use. In 1857, the question of repairing it 

Oct. 23, at the age of forty-nine. He seems to have been a ready and popu- 
lar debater as well as writer, and his death was a public loss, and lamented 
as such. He had held the office of colonel of a regiment of militia, which 
was then regarded as a mark of distinguished honor. From his qualifica- 
tions for public life, and his experience and familiar acquaintance with the 
affairs of the Province, there is every reason to believe, that, had he lived, 
he would have filled an important part in that drama of which he saw only 
the opening scene." 1 

1 Washburn's History Leicester, pp. 245, 6. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 29 

again was before the people, but very soon it gave place 
to another question ; and at a meeting of the society held 
February ist, 1858, a committee was appointed "to 
solicit subscriptions for the purpose of erecting a new 
meeting house." On the 28th of November of the same 
year, a building committee was appointed consisting of 
seven persons : Asa W. Clark, John L. Wheelock, Francis 
Stiles, Jr., Homer Cunningham, Milton Rockwood, William 
W. Woodruff and Ashley Graves. They were " empowered 
to build such a house as they should in their judgment 
think best for all concerned." It was also voted that the 
new house "be located on the present site;" and the 
committee was authorized to dispose of the old house as 
they should "think best."* This committee entered at 
once upon its work, and pushed it vigorously. In the 
course of the next year the old house was removed and 
this was erected in its place ; the vestry was finished and 
used for meetings ; the organ was set up ; the pulpit and 
pews were in their places, as you see them here to-day ; 
and the house was ready for its carpets and upholstery ; 
but the people were unwilling to occupy it till it should be 
entirely free from debt. I have nothing to show what was 
the cost of the church, or of the organ, but in May, i860, the 
building committee reported an indebtedness of $1,749.29, 
of which sum Mr. Stiles, who had previously contributed 
largely, and to whom, as chairman of the Building commit- 
tee, much of the convenience and tastefulness of the edifice 
is due, offered to pay seven parts, or $941.92, whenever the 
society would pay the other six parts, or $807.37. This 
amount was soon raised, and the house was dedicated to 
the worship of God on Thursday the twelfth day of July, 



^The building was sold to Mr. Stiles, and removed to a lot owned by 
him a few rods north of the meeting-house lot. There it stood unused 
three or four years, a striking relic of the past. It was then sold to parties 
engaged in business in Cherry Valley, removed to that village, and con- 
verted into a woolen mill, which was called the Chapel Mill. As such it was 
used till it was burned on the 15th of June, 1887. 



30 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

i860. The sermon on the occasion was preached by 
J. G. Warren, D.D., of Boston, from the text Haggai, ii: 9, 

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, 
saith the Lord of hosts ; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord 
of hosts." 

The prayer of dedication was offered by R. E. Pattison, 
D.D., of Worcester. 

The work had been done not without much labor and 
sacrifice, and only because "the people had a mind to 
work." To aid it a Sewing Society had been formed in 
October, 1857, and on the 21st of June, i860, its financial 
committee reported that the society had held forty-nine 
meetings, and raised $728.00, with which they furnished 
the house, and their society was then dissolved. 

Three years later it was thought advisable to have a 
bell and a clock for the church tower; and they were 
purchased and put in place at a cost of $442.00 for the 
clock, which was paid for by the society, and $710.50 for 
the bell, which was paid for by Mr. Stiles. 

When this house was finished and dedicated, the hearts 
of the people were filled with joy and gratitude to God. 
Though small, it was larger than the house that it 
displaced. Though nothing more than was becoming in 
a country church of its time and in such a town as this, 
still it was of better architecture, plan and workmanship 
than the other, well suited as that had been to its time. 
Instead of a plain, unattractive, old-fashioned meeting 
house, upon whose plan and finish no architect or artist 
had ever laid a hand or bestowed a thought, and whose 
angular features were unrelieved by spire or belfry, this 
house with its finer proportions and workmanship, curved 
lines, and graceful walls and tower, simple in their 
Norman neatness, attracted the eyes of all beholders as to 
a "gem of churches." Instead of bare pine floor and hard 
wooden seats, it had its carpets and softly cushioned 
pews. Instead of bare walls of unsoftened, dazzling 
white, the subdued and grateful tints and figures of 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 31 

walls frescoed in panel work with no gaudy colors greeted 
the eye. Instead of windows that let in the full, garish 
light of day, its windows, though not " richly dight," 
admitted only the "dim religious light " that Milton loved. 
And in addition to all else, was " the pealing organ," 
consecrated as the one great instrument of religious 
worship, not itself vocal, yet when touched by skillful 
fingers, powerful to aid the singers' voices in lifting the 
hearts of men up to God. But while we rejoice in our 
privileges, and are thankful for them, we should never 
forget that true and acceptable worship, the soul's panting 
after God, the spiritually seeing eye and hearing ear, the 
praying heart and the obedient will, are the same in those 
who meet in barns and school-houses, Puritan log-meeting- 
houses, Scottish glens where Covenanters worshipped in 
open air, Roman catacombs unvisited by the light of day, 
— not tombs only but chapels and baptisteries, — as in 
great cathedrals on which have been lavished the richest 
treasures of wealth and art. 

The first minister of the church was Thomas Green, 
of whom mention has already been made more than once. 
He was born in Maiden in 1699 ; was with his father 
here in Leicester in 171 7 ; was received as a member of 
the First Baptist Church in Boston, November 7th, 1731 ; 
was dismissed with others from that church to form the 
church in Sutton, August 3d, 1735 ; was ordained at 
Sutton, September 28th, 1737 ; and was pastor of this 
church from its formation till his death — a period of 
thirty-five years. a 

a After the delivery of this discourse, Mr. Samuel S. Green called the 
author's attention to an interesting and significant fact in the genealogy of 
Dr. Green. It is the fact of his descent from a niece of President Dunster 
of Harvard College. His sister, Rose Dunster, was the first wife of Joseph 
Hills of Maiden, — " one of the first lawyers in the colony," and one to 
whom " the jurisprudence of the colony is said to have been specially 
indebted." Their daughter, Rebecca Hills, was the wife of Thomas Green, 
father of Capt. Samuel Green, and grandfather of Dr. Thomas Green, the 
subject of this memoir. This fact is plainly significant of the influences 



32 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

The stone that marks the place where he was buried in 
our cemetery bears this inscription : 

Memento 

mori 

Erected in memory of 

Doc tr Thomas Green he was 

Paftor of the Baptift Church in 

Leicefter & a noted Phyfician 

he departed this life Auguft 19 th 

1773 aetatis 74 

The juft behold with fweet delight 

The blefsed three in one 
And ftronge affections fix their fight 

On Gods incarnate fon 

On the stone adjoining that of Dr. Green's, is this 
inscription : 

In memory of Mrs Martha 

Green wife of Do tr Thomas 

Green who died June 2 d 1780 

in the 80 th year of her age 

Here I lye 
And reft my head 
Till Chrift appear 
And rais the dead 

Mrs. Green was the daughter of Capt. John Lynde, of 
Maiden. She was married to Dr. Green in that town, 

that led Dr. Green, and others of his family, to be Baptists, and to found 
the Baptist church in Leicester. He had come with his father from Maiden, 
the town where Joseph Hills had lived with his wife Rose Dunster, and 
where the grandfather and namesake of Thomas Green had married their 
daughter Rebecca. President Dunster's influence as a Baptist was very 






HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 33 

January 13th, 1726. She was a woman of much excel- 
lence, many virtues, and strong, positive influence for 
good. Gentleness and strength, sweetness and light, 
wisdom and grace, were prominent elements of her 
character. She was truly a helper meet for her husband 
in all of their married life. One of her brothers, John 
Lynde, came to Leicester as early as 1721 ; and was "a 
leading man in the town, a large landholder, and a man 
of wealth." 

The story of Dr. Green's first experience here in 
Leicester, as told in Gov. Washburn's History of the Town, 
in the Genealogical Sketch of the Green family, and often 
elsewhere, has much of pathetic, and almost tragic, 
interest. As told by Gov. Washburn, it is this : While 
his father was preparing to remove his family to this 
town, he came here, bringing his son with him, and left 
him here to look after some cattle, that he had driven 
from Maiden and turned out upon his lands here. " It was 
summer ; and, as he expected to return in a short time, no 
danger was apprehended in leaving the young man — then 
seventeen or eighteen years old — thus alone in the 
wilderness. He, however, was soon attacked with a fever ; 
and his father was unexpectedly prevented from returning 
as he had intended, and he was left to battle with the 
disease as he best could. His only shelter was a kind of 
cave under a rock, near the stream on which his father 
afterwards erected his mills. His only sustenance con- 

stongly felt after the affair of Dr. John Clarke and Obadiah Holmes in 
Charlestown, of which Maiden had been a part till two years before. The 
latest historian of the Baptists says : " In the very heart of the Puritan 
commonwealth, Dunster had planted seed that was indestructible. Cambridge 
and the adjoining town of Charlestown had been filled with these principles, 
and out of that centre of influence came the First Baptist Church of 
Massachusetts Bay proper." And Dr. Gieen himself was once a member of 
that First Baptist Church in Boston. 1 

1 Genealogical sketch of the descendants of Thomas Green[e] of Maiden, Mass. 
By Samuel S. Greene of Providence, R. I. pp. 9 and 71. A History of the 
Baptists. By Thomas Armitage, D. D., LL. D., 1887, p. 699. 



34 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

sisted of the milk of one of the cows, which he contrived 
to obtain by tying her calf to a tree near his cave ; which 
led her to visit the spot several times a day, and brought 
her within his reach. The water he used, he obtained by 
creeping upon the ground to the stream. In this deplor- 
able condition, some of his former neighbors who were 
landholders, and about to remove to Leicester, and had 
come there to look after their cattle, found him. He 
appealed to them for aid to return home ; but they were 
unable to afford it, and left him. On their return to 
Maiden, they informed his father of his condition ; and he 
immediately came to his relief. But he had no other 
means of removing his sick son through the new and (a 
considerable part of the way) wilderness country between 
Leicester and Maiden, except on horseback ; and, after 
four days' travelling, he accomplished the journey." It is 
said that young Thomas Green's courage sank for the first 
time, when those neighbors of his father's, two of them, 
" refused to take him home with them, and he wept at 
their unkindness." 1 

Thanks to God, he survived that sickness and exposure, 
and the story of his long, active, and useful life is 
condensed and told in the few words engraved on this 
mural tablet, which, shown to-day for the first time, has 
been placed here by one of his descendants, who honors 
himself in thus honoring his father's honored grandfather. 
He is worthy for whom thou hast done this, for he built 
us a synagogue, and gave us a place in these grounds 
adjoining the church, wherein to bury our dead. The 
church is grateful for the token thou hast given ; and 
as often as we see it on this wall, we shall remember 
him who was indeed our "benefactor," and who in his 
life and character left a monument more enduring than 
brass. 



1 Historical sketches of the town of Leicester. By Emory Washburn, pp. in, 112. 
Genealogical Sketch of the Descendants of Thomas Green[e] of Maiden, Mass. By 
Samuel S. Greene, p. 22. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 35 

Dr. Green lived three lives, and did the work of three 
men in one. 

He was a man of business, active, energetic, and suc- 
cessful. His operations in real estate are indicated by 
the Indexes in the Registry of Deeds at Worcester, where 
in the years from 1735 to 1773, his name appears as 
grantee fifty-seven times, and as grantor fifty-nine times. 
One particular investment which he made sixteen years 
after this church was formed, shows his admirable good 
taste, foresight, and judgment. It is his purchase of the 
magnificent estate in Worcester which is now known as 
Green Hill, and which has been in possession of the 
family ever since he bought it. The deed was given by 
" Thomas Adams to Thomas Green of Leicester, for and 
in consideration of Three Hundred and Thirty Pounds 
6-8 by him paid," and is dated " the 28 day of May Anno 
Domini 1754." To see that deed as I have seen it, is to 
see his character outlined on its business side. At 
his death his estate passing through the probate office 
was appraised at .£4,495 4s. 3}(d., equivalent very nearly 
to $22,476.76, an estate said to have been larger than 
any " that had been entered at the probate office at 
Worcester previous to his death." 

He was also " a noted physician." His practice was 
extensive in Massachusetts and beyond the borders of 
this State in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hamp- 
shire. He had medical students under his instruction. 
It was said by Nathan Craig, who was his grandson, that 
" Dr. Green had in all one hundred and twenty-three 
students," his father, Dr. Robert Craig, having been one 
of them. In Thatcher's Medical Biography, to have a 
place in which is no slight honor, Dr. Green is spoken 
of as a physician who " rose to great eminence." 
In an English periodical of the last century, he was 
spoken of as " a physician distinguished for his success 
in the healing art." And here when he is spoken of, he 
is quite as often called " Dr. Green," as " Elder Green." 



36 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

He was also a preacher of the gospel, quite as eminent 
in this as in his other spheres of life. His work in 
preaching seems to have been co-extensive with his prac- 
tice as a physician, each aiding the other. In Rippon's 
Register, he is spoken of as " eminent for his useful labors 
in the gospel ministry ;" and in illustration or confirma- 
tion of the statement, the writer there added the words, 
" It is said that in the course of his ministry Mr. Green 
baptized not less than a thousand persons." 1 

But many-sided, influential, and eminent as he was, 
very few incidents of his ministry are known. On 
the 7th of September, 1743, at Warwick, R. I., he 
took part with two other ministers, in the ordination of 
James Bound,* the first pastor of the Second Baptist 
Church in Boston, which came out that year from the 
First, on account of the doctrinal unsoundness of its 
pastor. The fact that Dr. Green took part in that ordi- 
nation shows plainly that he held firmly to "the doctrines 
of grace," and had no sympathy with Arminianism. 

In 1756 Isaac Backus made a visit to this place, and 
made two entries in his journal, which are of much 
interest to us. They are the following : 

" Oct. 18th. Came over (from Sutton) to Dr. Green's in Leicester ; and 
they were earnest for a meeting. So I tarried and preached, the Lord giving 
me special assistance. 

Oct. 19th. I can but admire how the doctor is able to get along as he 
does ; having a great deal of farming business to manage ; multitudes of sick 
to take care of ; several apprentices to instruct in the art of physic ; and a 
church to care for and watch over ; yet in the midst of all he seems to keep 

a " Mr. Bound's ordination was a matter of some difficulty, as no minis- 
ters could be found to assist on the occasion. The church applied to the 
aged Mr. Wightman, of Groton, Connecticut, but he was too old and infirm 
to undertake such a journey. Finally, Mr. Bound went to Warwick, Rhode 
Island, where he met the venerable elder from Groton, and was ordained 
by him, Dr. Green of Leicester, and an Elder Whipple." 2 

1 Rippon's Baptist Register, [London] 1793, Vol. II., p. no. 

2 A General History of the Baptist denomination in America and other parts of the 
world. By David Benedict, A. M. First edition, 1813, Vol. I., p. 407. See also Backus' 
History, Vol. II., pp. 421, 422. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 37 

religion uppermost, to have his mind bent upon divine things, and to be 
very bold in Christian conversation with all sorts of company." 1 

In the last year of his life he received a paralytic stroke 
from which he partially recovered, but soon receiving 
another he yielded to it, and ceased to be mortal, when he 
had been pastor of the church just thirty -five years, want- 
ing forty days. 

His funeral was attended by great numbers of people 
from this and other towns, and the occasion was one of 
great solemnity. His funeral sermon was preached by 
Rev. John Martin, of Thompson, Conn., and eight clergy- 
men, "were his bearers to the silent mansion."* 

At his death he left seven children, five sons and two 
daughters, through whom he was the founder of a goodly 
line of descendants, who in private and public life have 

a Among the oldest records of the church is a loose leaf, which contains 
the following record, but without signature : 

" In the Year 1773, the Revd Thomas Green deceast Aug. 19, being in the 
74 Year of His age. His Funeral Seremonies was attended with Great 
Solemnity. A Suitable Sermon was deliver'd upon the occation by the 
Revd Mr. Martin. Thompson. 
The Revd Mr CONKLIN. Leicester, / wer his bearers, 

do. ALDIN. Bellingham, [ to the Silent 

do. BOWMAN. Oxford, \ Mantion! 

do. LEDOYT. Woodstock, 

do. MARTIN. Thompson, 

do. RANSOM. N. London, 

do. CURTIS. Chalton, 

do. GREEN. Chalton, 
These clergymen were pastors of churches as follows : Rev. Benjamin 
Conklin, Leicester, Congregational, 1763-1794; Rev. Noah Alden, Belling- 
ham, Baptist, 1766-1796; Rev. Joseph Bowman, Oxford, Congregational, 
1764-1782; Rev. Biel Ledoyt, Woodstock, Conn., Baptist, 1768-1790; Rev. 
John Martin, Thompson, Conn., Baptist, 1773— 1797 ; Rev. Caleb Curtis, 
Charlton, Congregational, 1761-1776; Rev. Nathaniel Green, Charlton, 
Baptist, 1763-1791. Rev. Mr. Ransom of N. London, was probably the 
Rev. Elisha Ransom, Baptist, who, having been ordained in Sutton, in 1778, 
was pastor at Woodstock, Vt., from 1780, more than twenty years. 

1 A Memoir of the Life and Times of the Rev, Isaac Backus, A. M. By Alvah 
Hovey, D. D., p. 131. 



38 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

honored their lineage and the name they bear. Among 
them are Dea. Samuel Green of this church'; doctors John 
Green ist, 2d, and 3d, — all physicians of high eminence 
in Worcester; Rev. Thomas Green, M. D., of North 
Yarmouth, Me.; Samuel Dana Green, born here in 
Leicester, a resident of Cambridge, and a merchant of 
Boston ; Timothy Green, born in Worcester, a lawyer in 
New York city, and lost at sea in a vessel that sailed 
from Charlestown, S. C, but "never came to shore;" his son, 
Timothy Ruggles Green of New York, who was one of 
" those whom the gods love," though for us he died 
untimely, at the early age of thirty-four, and to whom, on 
the occasion of his death, a most appreciative and grace- 
ful tribute was paid by his pastor, and early and intimate 
friend, William R. Williams, D. D., from the text, " How 
is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod ;'" Samuel 
Fiske Green, an eminent medical missionary of the 
American Board in Ceylon, whose biography is now 
preparing ; and others, some of whom are here, and some 
are not here to-day. 

And so, take him for all in all, Dr. Green was no com- 
mon man. He was fortunate in his great natural ability, 
in the circumstances that attended his entrance upon life 
and business, in his manifold and successful life-work, in his 
personal character and influence, and in his descendants ; 
and fortunate was the church that had him to its minister. 

The next minister of the church was Benjamin Foster. 
He was born in Danvers, June 12th, 1750. He was 
educated in the public school of that town, and at Yale 
College, where he completed the course of study in 1774. 
In that year, on the 4th of September, he was baptized 
and received into the fellowship of the First Baptist 
Church in Boston. On the 5th of the next February, 
he was licensed to preach, after having preached before 
the church several times. On the 16th of January, 
1776, he was married to Elizabeth, the youngest daughter 

1 Miscellanies. By William R. Williams, pp. 148-168. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 39 

of Dr. Thomas Green. In October, 1776, he was 
dismissed from the First Church in Boston, to this in 
Leicester, and on the 23rd of the same month he was 
ordained as pastor of this church, the ordination sermon 
being preached by Rev. Charles Thompson, a of Warren, 
R. I. 

His ministry here was eminently successful. In five 
years from his settlement the church increased from 
thirty to seventy-six members, and some of its most 
excellent and useful members were baptized by him. But 
in 1782, he resigned his office and withdrew from the 
field. After that he preached two years in Danvers, 
four years in Newport, R. I., and then ten years as pastor 
of the First Church in New York, where he died of 
yellow fever on the 26th of August, 1798. Several 
biographical sketches of him were published, all com- 
mending his good character, learning, ability, and faith- 
fulness in all he had to do. He was the author of several 
meritorious works, two of which "The Washing of 
Regeneration," and " Primitive Baptism denned in a 
letter to the Rev. John Cleaveland," were published while 
he was here in Leicester. He received the degree of 
D. D., from Brown University in 1792, in consequence of 
a learned publication entitled, " A Dissertation on the 
Seventy Weeks of Daniel." Benedict said of him : "Dr. 
Foster, as a scholar, particularly in the Greek, Hebrew, 

a Charles Thompson was born in Amvvell, N. J., April 14th, 1748. He 
was a graduate of Brown University, in the class of 1769, the first class ever 
graduated from that Institution. He was ordained pastor of the church in 
Warren, R. L, July 3rd, 177 1. After a successful ministry of four years in 
that place, he served three years as chaplain in the American army ; and 
was settled as pastor of the church in Swansea, October 7th, 1779. His 
ministry there continued through twenty-three years, and was greatly 
blessed. Early in 1803, he became pastor of the church in Charlton, but 
died of consumption, in the same year, on the 4th of May. " As a preacher 
he held a very high rank." 1 

1 Annals of the American Pulpit. By William B. Sprague, D.D., Vol. VI., pp. 133, 134. 
Also Life, Times and Correspondence of James Manning, and the Early History of Brown 
University. By Reuben Aldridge Guild, pp. 103, 104. 



40 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

and Chaldean languages, has left few superiors. As a 
divine, he was strictly Calvinistick, and full on the doctrine 
of salvation by free grace. As a preacher, he was inde- 
fatigable. In private life, he was innocent as a child and 
harmless as a dove, fulfilling all the duties of life with 
the greatest punctuality. The following inscription on 
a handsome marble over his grave, in the Baptist 
burying-ground in New York, written by an eminent 
Presbyterian clergyman of that city, is an encomium 
justly due to his memory : 'As a scholar and divine he 
excelled; as a preacher he was eminent; as a Christian 
he shone conspicuously ; in his piety he was fervent ; the 
church was comforted by his life, and it now laments his 
death. ,,, 1 

The next minister was Isaac Beall. He was born in 
England, but the time of his coming to this country is 
not known. He came to Leicester from the western 
part of the state, and at the recommendation of Rev. 
Nathaniel Green. The earliest entry in our church 
records is in these words : " In the year 1783, May. 
Then our beloved Brother Isaac Beall Came by desire of 
the Church to Labor with us in the Gospel." He was 
ordained here December 1st, 1784. Six churches were 
represented in the council by pastors and delegates. The 
" Council of Churches, Convened at the House of Deacon 
Samuel Green," and the churches represented were 
those of Charlton, South Brimfield, Woodstock, Medfield, 
Cambridge, and Sturbridge. The sermon was preached 
by Rev. Thomas Gair of Medfield, the charge was given 
by Rev. Elijah Codding of South Brimfield, and the hand 
of fellowship was given by Rev. Thomas Green of 
Cambridge. 

He was a man of devout spirit, in company with a 
strong mind and much native shrewdness, which com- 
pensated in part for his want of education. At first his 

1 History of the Baptist Denomination, by David Benedict, A. M., Vol. II., pp. 
301-304, edition of 1813. Sprague's Annals, Vol. VI., pp. 191, 192. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 4I 

ministry here was quite successful ; but after two years 
serious troubles growing out of Shay's Rebellion were 
encountered, and they proved so great a hindrance to his 
work that he asked his dismission, which, in terms credit- 
able to him and to the church, was granted on the 18th of 
September, 1788. Soon after that he removed to Ver- 
mont, and there preached many years in Clarendon and 
Pawlet, and finally died in Clarendon. The inscription 
on his gravestone there is in these words : " Rev. Isaac 
Beall and his wife Prudence Died Aug. 1833, she on the 
9th and he the 14th, in their 81st year." 

The next minister was Nathan Dana. He was here 
and acted as moderator of a church meeting September 
19th, 1792 ; and he was ordained at Newton, November 
20th, 1793. In the council four churches were repre- 
sented by their pastors and delegates, and each of the 
pastors had a part in the services of ordination, Dr. 
Stillman of the First Church in Boston preaching the 
sermon, Elder Grafton of Newton offering the prayer of 
ordination, Rev. Thomas Green of Danvers giving the 
charge, and Rev. Thomas Baldwin of the Second Church 
in Boston giving the right hand of fellowship. He 
became pastor of this church the next year after his 
ordination. The record of his call to the pastorate is in 
these words: "July 20 1794 the chh met and Voted 
To Give and Gave Brother Nathan Dena a Call to take 
the speical Charge of this chh and to Administer all 
speical ordinances in Compliance here of he Gave his 
answer in the afirmative Samuel Green Moderator 
Samuel Parker Clerk" 

When nearly three years from the time of his settle- 
ment had passed, he resigned his office, and the record of 
his dismission is in these words : 

ELDER DANNAS DISMISSION. 

The Baptist Chh of Christ at Leicester Being Convened In Chh Meeting 
on the 24 Day of July 1794 Did then and there Vote To Give our Well 
Beloved Brother and Elder Nathan Dana [a call] to take the Special Care and 



42 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

Charge as an under Shepherd of said Chh and To Administer Speical 
ordenances amongst us and where as God in his providence has opened a 
Door for his Removel from us and at his Request we have in our Chh 
Meeting Votted him a Dismission from that special Charge Earnestly wishing 
a Divine Blessing may Attend him Wherever God shall Call him to Labour 
in his Vineyard Dun in Chh meeting at Leicester Feb 5 1797 
In Behalf of the Chh 

SAMEL PARKER} Chh Scribe 

After leaving this church he preached at Pittsford, and 
elsewhere in Vermont, and died in Pittsford in 1833, 
at the age of seventy-six years. 

The next and fifth minister was Peter Rogers. Under 
date of May 14th, 1803, our records say : " Voted Elder 
Peter Rogers to take the watch care of this church, and 
he being present excepted the same." He brought letters 
of dismission and recommendation from the church in 
Killingly, Conn., where he had preached seven years, and 
he was received as a member of this church on the 4th 
of June, 1803. His pastoral service here continued 
through ten full years, till at his own request it was ter- 
minated on the 5th of August, 1813. He, with his wife 
and daughter, was dismissed, to " the Baptist Church of 
Christ in Bernardston," on the 19th of October, 181 5. 
Before he left this place, he and the church suffered from 
reports injurious to his reputation as a man of honesty 
and fair dealing, but a committee of eight persons, — John 
Prentice, James Sprague, Samuel Denny, Samuel Green, 
David Bryant, Daniel Livermore, Benjamin Bond, and 
Ephraim Copeland, — after careful and thorough investi- 
gation of all the charges made against him, reported that 
in their " solemn opinion " he was and ought to be 
considered by all mankind as absolutely acquitted and 
clear from all manner of criminal and immoral conduct 
relative to each and every one of the charges made 
against him ; and they suggested that their report 
should be made " as public as the nature of the subject 
doth claim." But even now after the lapse of seventy- 
seven years, there are some who hear of those charges, 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 43 

without hearing of his vindication from them ; and so 
what I am saying is simple justice to a man who is not 
alive to vindicate himself again. 

The next settled minister was Benjamin N. Harris. 
He was born in Brookline, July 19th, 1782. His early 
life was spent upon a farm. He was converted, in 1809, 
while living at Orford, N. H. There he made his profes- 
sion of religion, and joined the Methodists. After a time 
he was licensed by them to preach, and then ordained 
Deacon in June, 18 19. After preaching twelve years 
among the people with whom he first connected himself, 
he became a Baptist, and joined the church in Wrentham 
in November, 1823. In May of the next year, he came to 
Leicester, and was ordained here on the 3d of July, 1827. 
His pastorate continued till May, 1830, when he was dis- 
missed with expressions of confidence and commendation. 
He afterwards preached in different parts of New England, 
in New Ybrk, and in Canada, and became widely known 
as " Father Harris," greatly esteemed and beloved. 
After a long and useful, but unostentatious, life and 
ministry, he died in Bolton on the 3d of March, 1859. 

The next and seventh minister was John Greene. He 
was a descendant of Thomas Green, the great grandfather 
of the first pastor of this church, but through another line. 
He was a son of Ebenezer Greene, of Belchertown, and 
brother of Samuel Stillman Greene, LL. D., for a long time 
Professor in Brown University, and one of the most dis- 
tinguished educators of our country. He was born in 
Belchertown, June 1st, 1801. He was educated at the 
Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution, now Mad- 
ison University, and was graduated in 1830. 

He came to Leicester at the suggestion of Dr. Going 
of Worcester, soon after the resignation of Mr. Harris ; 
was received as a member of this church, August 14th, 
1830, and at the request of the church, was ordained at 
the meeting of the Worcester Association at Princeton, 
on the 19th of the same month. His work in the ministry 



44 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

here continued till September 6th, 1840, when he asked 
and received his dismission. His ministry was successful 
in many ways. Under it, the church entered upon a new 
career of life, peace, and prosperity. Through his wise 
guidance, troubles that had been vexing it for sixteen 
years, were overcome and removed, and in seven years 
from the time of his coming, the church increased in 
numbers from forty-two to eighty members. 

In the latter part of his ministry occurred the centen- 
nial of the church. It was observed on Sunday, the first 
day of January, 1837, at the usual time of public worship. 
After the reading of the Scriptures and prayer by Rev. 
C. O. Kimball, Secretary of the Massachusetts Baptist 
State Convention, the pastor preached a historical sermon 
from the text, 1 Samuel vii., 12, 

" Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and he 
called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 

His sermon, in which he passed in review the history 
of the church during the century then closing, was the 
result of much diligence, care, and painstaking in his 
search for facts, and in his presentation of them ; but it 
was not published, and when the manuscript was last 
seen, I do not know. It is much to be regretted that the 
author of these historical sketches has been compelled, in 
the past year, to go over all that ground without the 
guidance of his predecessor. 

After leaving Leicester, Mr. Greene preached with good 
success in Shutesbury five years, in Bernardston three 
years, in Florida four years, in Chester Village two years, 
in North Leverett two years, and supplied other churches 
at different times. He died in Montague, October 12th, 
1865. 

The next minister was Moses Harrington. He was 
born in Weston, March 23d, 1792 ; and he was ordained 
at Sutton, November 16th, 1825. He was pastor of that 
church till 183 1. After that he was pastor at Spencer 
four years, and at Leominster three years. He became 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 45 

a member of this church, and its pastor December 6th, 
1840, and his ministry here continued till April 1st, 
1849. Afterward he resided in Framingham, and died 
in that place June 14th, 1866. 

The next pastor was Lorenzo O. Lovell. He was born in 
that part of Rowley which is now Georgetown, October 
24th, 1809, and was graduated at Brown University in 1833. 
He was licensed to preach by the First Baptist Church in 
Fall River, and ordained at West Boylston, June 3d, 1835. 
At his ordination the charge was given by his father, 
Rev. Shubael Lovell, of Fall River, and the Hand of 
Fellowship by his brother, Rev. Nehemiah G. Lovell, of 
Princeton. After leaving West Boylston he was settled 
first at Fitchburg, afterward at Utica, Norway, and Troy, 
N. Y., at Central Falls, R. I., and at West Sutton in this 
state, from which place after a four years' pastorate, he 
came to Leicester, and was received as a member of this 
church, July 5th, 1856. Here as elsewhere he was known 
as an eloquent, brilliant preacher, and his ministry here 
continued till May, 1858. On the 4th day of that month, 
he baptized thirteen persons, and in the following week, 
his extremely sensitive and delicate organization gave 
way, mental aberration supervened, and he was withdrawn 
from his work. After several years he removed to 
Rochester, Minn., where, with his family, he passed the 
last fourteen years of his life in quietness and peace. He 
died September 3d, 1880. 

The next minister was Hiram C. Estes. He began 
his work May 1st, i860, and closed his first ministry in 1862. 

The next minister was Nathaniel B. Cooke. He was 
born in Cambridgeport, February 26th, 18 16. He was 
educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, and at Brown 
University, where he was graduated in 1840. Afterward 
he studied medicine and received the degree of M. D. at 
Yale College. In consequence of a throat disease he had 
been turned aside from his cherished wish to enter the 
ministry, but after practising medicine and teaching 



46 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

several years, in Bristol, R. I., and elsewhere, he received 
and accepted a call to become pastor of this church, and 
was ordained here November 13th, 1862. He continued 
here till 1868, when he resigned and removed to Lonsdale, 
R. L, where he was settled about three years, and where 
he died, April 14th, 1871. He was a good man, faithful in 
his work, and much esteemed by all who knew him. 

The next and twelfth minister was Lewis Holmes. He 
was born in Plymouth, April 12th, 18 13. He was a 
graduate of Waterville College, now Colby University, in 
the class of 1840. The next year he was ordained at 
Edgartown, where he preached two years. Then he 
preached two years in Canton, four in Groton, five in 
Barre, four in Edgartown the second time, six in Middle- 
field, three in Scituate, and then seven in Leicester. He 
entered upon his work here in July, 1869, and he closed 
it on the first of September, 1876. From this place he 
removed to Plymouth, and there he died, the 24th of 
May, 1887. He was one of whom it may justly be said 
that "an excellent spirit was in him." He was a good 
preacher, quiet, thoughtful, unambitious, conscientious, 
stimulating, and improving to his hearers. He was 
the author of a work entitled " The Arctic Whaleman 
and Whaling," and of a " Biography of Rev. Thomas 
Conant." 

The next minister was John Sawyer. He was born in 
Dorchester, 111., September 5th, 1836. He united with 
the church in that place in 1853. He was graduated 
from Shurtleff college in i860, and from the Rochester 
Theological Seminary in 1863. In November of that 
year, he was ordained at Virden, 111., where he was settled 
till 1864. He was afterwards settled at Lawrence, Kan., 
at Hudson, 111., and at North Tisbury in this State. He 
preached in this place the next Sunday after Mr. Holmes 
closed his labors here, and in the following month he 
received and accepted a call to become pastor of the 
church. At once he won a large place in the hearts of 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 47 

the people, and his promise of usefulness was great. But, 

" Not seldom, clad in radiant vest, 
Deceitfully goes forth the Morn." 

For some time he had been suffering from ill health, 
with a marked tendency to consumption ; but, at this 
distance from the sea, he hoped to improve and be well. 
Instead of improving, however, he rapidly grew worse, 
and was compelled to resign and close his labors on the 
4th of the next February, when he had been here only 
six months. He went at once to Denver, Col, where he 
died February 20th, 1878. He was buried with his 
kindred in Dorchester, 111., and one who knew him well 
said of him, " He was unobtrusive and retiring, studious 
and devoted to his work. . . . ' He rests from his labors 
and his works do follow him.' " 

Of these thirteen persons, concerning whom I have now 
spoken, as pastors of this church between the time of its 
formation and 1877, twelve have ceased from their earthly 
labors. Their names brought together and presented at 
a single view, with the periods of their ministration here? 
the years in which they departed this life, and their ages, 
are as follows : 

Thomas Green, 1738 - 1773 1773 74 

Benjamin Foster, D. D. 1776 - 1782 1798 48 

Isaac Beall, 1783 - 1788 1833 80 

Nathan Dana, 1794 - 1797 1833 76 

Peter Rogers,* 1803 - 18 13 1849 95 

Benjamin N. Harris, 1827 - 1830 1859 7& 

John Greene, 1830 - 1840 1865 64 

Moses Harrington, 1840 - 1849 l8 66 74 

Lorenzo O. Lovell, 1856 - 1858 1880 70 

Nathaniel B. Cooke, 1862 - 1868 1871 55 

Lewis Holmes, 1869 - 1876 1887 74 

John Sawyer, 1876 - 1877 1878 41 

a " Peter Rogers was born in New London, Conn., in 1754. His father 
was Peter Rogers, the fourth in descent from James Rogers, the earliest of 



48 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

Their work is done. Its record is sealed, — but open for 
us to study. They differed from each other in the out- 
ward conditions and circumstances of their earlier and 
later life, and they differed quite as much in personal 
characteristics, endowments, attainments, modes of influ- 
ence, and apparent results. They were different, as the 
twelve apostles were different from each other, showing 
how, as the great thinker of their " glorious company " 
said, — " There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. 
And there are differences of administration, but the same 
Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is 
the same God which worketh all in all." But different as 
were the departed pastors of this church, it may not 
unfitly be said of each one of them, — from the first to 
the last, — that 

" Christes lore, and his apostles twelve, 
He taught, but first he folwed it himselve." 

My study of their lives, works, and characters, has 
led me to think better, instead of worse, of men, of 
christians, and of ministers. 

The next minister, after Mr. Sawyer, was James W. 
Searll. He was born in Providence, R. I. ; studied at the 
Newton Theological Institution, and was ordained Feb- 
ruary 25th, 1858. After pastorates in New Hampshire, 
at Richmond, West Swanzey, East Weare, and South 
Hampton, he became pastor here July 5th, 1877. After 
a ministry of four years, he resigned, and his labors 
closed the last Sunday in September, 1881. 

the name who came to New England, and who claimed to be a great grand- 
son of John Rogers, the Martyr. Peter Rogers, in the early part of the 
Revolutionary War, was a famous privateersman. He afterwards entered 
the army, and won distinction in the Washington Life Guard. In March, 
1790, he was ordained Pastor of the Bozrah Baptist Church. His first wife 
was a Green, but he afterwards married a daughter of Elder Zadoc Darrow, 
and died in the State of Illinois, in 1849, m tne ninety-sixth year of his age, 
and the sixtieth of his ministry." * 

1 Annals of the American Pulpit. By William B. Sprague, D. D., Vol. VI., p. 109. 
See also Backus' History, Vol. II., pp. 524, 525. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 49 

The next minister was Albert W. Spaulding. He began 
his work here while a student at Newton ; received a call 
to become pastor on the 22d of January, 1882, and was 
ordained here July 18th of that year, though he continued 
his studies at the Institution till his graduation in the 
following year. He resigned and closed his labors in 
January, 1886. 

The present pastor entered on the work of his second 
ministry here on the 1st of March, 1886. 

Besides these who have thus been settled here as 
pastors, some others, who have preached as stated sup- 
plies, deserve mention. 

In 1799, Nathaniel Price preached several months, and 
in that year fifteen were added to the church. 

Ebenezer Burt preached from September, 1802, till the 
next May, and again, for perhaps a longer time, in 1824. 
At many other times his aid and counsel were of much 
benefit to the church. He was born in Weston, March 
9th, 1766, and ordained in Hardwick in 1798. He was 
pastor of the Hardwick and Ware Baptist Church more 
than forty years, and in all this region his labors were 
abundant. He died in Athol, November 25th, 1861. 

Benjamin M. Hill preached here two years, from April, 
1816, till March, 1818. He was born in Newport, R. I., 
April 5th, 1793. He studied at the Newport Academy, 
and at the University of Pennsylvania. His course of 
study was interrupted by the death of his father, but he 
took two courses of medical lectures. He was converted 
in 18 1 2, and baptized into the church in Thompson, Conn. 
Three years later he was licensed to preach. While he 
was preaching here, the church took some steps towards 
his ordination, but the church in Thompson, of which he 
was a member, advised against it, because his mind was 
not settled in regard to his future residence and field of 
labor. Afterward he was ordained at Stafford, Conn., 
where he preached two years. Then he was pastor at 
New Haven nine years, and at Troy, N. Y., ten years. 



50 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

In 1840 he was called to a service which proved to be his 
life work. It was that of Secretary of the American 
Baptist Home Mission Society, a work which he con- 
ducted, with signal ability and success, for twenty-two 
years. He received the degree of D. D. from Madison 
University in 1852. He died in New Haven, Conn., 
January 15 th, 1881. 

While he was preaching here, he acted as clerk of the 
church, and his record shows the same carefulness and 
faithfulness which, later, marked hi? administration of the 
affairs of the Home Mission Society. One vote of the 
church, recorded in his handwriting, has reference to the 
duties of the church clerk, and is as follows : 

Voted That it is the duty of the Church Clerk to keep a Correct list of 
names of the members of the Church of Additions, Dismissions, Exclusions, 
& Deaths, To write letters of Recommendation, Admonition, &c when 
Voted by the Church unless there is a special vote otherwise ; To keep a 
correct statement or record of Chh transactions in the Book of records ; & a 
true copy of letters in the letter Book. & to read in Church meeting the 
record of proceeding in the preceding meeting. & in case of repeated 
neglect he is liable to reproof & in case of no reformation, to a dismission 
from his office. 

In 1 82 1, Luther Goddard, of Worcester, supplied the 
pulpit several months, and six were baptized that year. 

From March 2d, 1850, till the close of the next year, 
the pulpit was supplied by Otis Converse, of Worcester, 
often called "Father Converse". He was born in Spen- 
cer, December 4th, 1796 ; began to preach in 18 18 ; 
afterward studied with Abiel Fisher, D. D., a at Belling- 



a Abiel Fisher, D. D., was born in Putney, Vt., June 19th, 1787. Having 
been graduated from the University of Vermont in 181 2, from which he 
received the degree of D. D. in 1852, he pursued the study of theology under 
Nathanael Kendrick, D. D., then at Middlebury, later the first President of 
Madison University, and was ordained, in Brandon, June 15th, 18 15. He 
had pastorates in Bellingham, in this State, West Boylston, and Sturbridge, 
Pawtucket, R. I., Swansea and Sutton, and died at West Boylston, in 1862. 
The Baptist Encyclopaedia says of him : " He rendered the best service to 
the Baptist cause in the central sections of Massachusetts. He was a lover 
of learning, and quite a number of young men enjoyed the benefits of his 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 5 I 

ham ; was ordained at Grafton, June 25th, 1823, and was 
pastor of that church twelve years. From the close of his 
ministry in Grafton till his death, December 1st, 1874, he 
made his home in Worcester, but preached for many 
different churches, a short time in each. His interest in 
this church, as also in others, was deep and tender, and 
his work was helpful. 

Mr. Converse was succeeded in the supply of the pul- 
pit by John F. Burbank. He was born in Standish, Me., 
December nth, 1811, and was baptized into the fellow- 
ship of the First Baptist Church in Portland, June 19th, 
1 83 1. After studying three years at Waterville College, 
and another year at Columbian College, he was graduated 
from the latter institution in 1837, and from the Newton 
Theological Institution in 1840. He was ordained, at 
Taunton, on the 3rd of February, the same year. He was 
pastor there two years, and at Webster four years. In 
1846 he removed to Worcester, which from that time was 
his home. He continued to preach, for various churches, 
till the close of his life. His labors here began April 1st, 
1850, and ended with his death, November 20th, 1853. 
He was highly esteemed for his character and for his 
work's sake, and his death was much lamented. 

The next supply was that of Nathaniel Hervey. He 
was born in Newburyport in 1808. He studied at the 
South Reading Academy, and was a graduate of the 
Newton Theological Institution, in the class of 1833. In 
that year he was ordained pastor of the First Baptist 
Church, in Meriden, Conn. After preaching there one 
year, he was settled at Marblehead two years, in East 
Cambridge, three years, and afterwards in Andover and 
Westboro. He entered upon his labors here in January, 
1854, and closed it, on account of long continued ill health, 
in 1856. In that year, on the eleventh of December, he 

instruction We may justly claim Dr. Fisher as having been one 

of the most useful ministers of the denomination in the State of 
Massachusetts." 



52 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

died of consumption, in Worcester. He is remembered 
and spoken of as a faithful minister of Christ. 

The names of the Deacons of the church, with the years, 
so far as known, in which they were chosen, and in which 
they resigned or deceased, have been as follows : 

Nathaniel Jones. 
Thomas Holman. 

Samuel Green, 1810 

Isaac Choate. 

James Sprague, 1799 - J ^ 2 4 

David Bryant, 181 1 - 18 19 

Jeremiah Pratt, 18 19- 1822 

Elkanah Haven, 1825 - 1846, 

David Parker, 1827 - 1838 

Moses W. Maynard, 1836 - 1855 

Sumner Bridges, 1836 - 1843 

Asa W. Clark, 1843. 

Loren Lyon, 1843 - 1867. 

Daniel F. Draper, 1874. 

Emory B. F. Draper. 1885. 

Two of these, Samuel Green and James Sprague, deserve 
especial mention, as having attained " a good degree, and 
great boldness in the faith ". Samuel Green was deacon 
of the church more than fifty years, and one-fourth or 
more of that time was during his father's ministry. His 
ability and wisdom were of special value to the church 
when it was destitute of a pastor, and always he was its 
watchful and faithful servant ; so that he left a good 
example of what a christian man of business, and a deacon 
in the church, should be. 

Two others, Moses W. Maynard and Sumner Bridges, 
were inducted into their office by ordination. The ser- 
vices were held on Saturday afternoon, December 31st, 
1836. A sermon was preached by Rev. Charles O. 
Kimball, from the text, Acts vi., 2-4, 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



53 



"Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and 
said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables, 
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report 
full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this busi- 
ness. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry 
of the word ". 

Mr. Kimball also gave the charge. The consecrating 
prayer was offered by the pastor of the church, Rev. John 
Greene, and the right hand of fellowship was given by 
Rev. Moses Harrington, of Spencer. 

An unusually large number of persons have served in 
the office of Church Clerk. Their names and terms of 
service have been as follows : 



Samuel Parker, 




1783. 


Isaac Beall, 


1783- 


1788. 


John Lyon, • 


1789- 


1790. 


Samuel Parker, 


1790- 


1799. 


James Sprague, 


1799- 


1813. 


Samuel Green, 


1813- 


1817. 


Benjamin M. Hill, 


1817- 


1818. 


James Sprague, 


1818- 


1825. 


Lebbeus Turner, 


1825 - 


1827. 


Ebenezer Dunbar, 


1827- 


1827. 


Benjamin N. Harris, 


1827- 


1829. 


Ebenezer Dunbar, 


1829 - 


1841. 


Moses Harrington, 


1841 - 


1849. 


Milton Rockwood, 


1849- 


1859. 


Hiram C. Estes, 


1860- 


1862. 


Asa W. Clark, 


1862- 


1863. 


Nathaniel B. Cooke, 


1863- 


1868. 


John D. Clark, 


1868- 


1871. 


Lewis Holmes, 


1871 - 


1876. 


John D. Clark, 


1876. 





In the course of its history this church has been con- 
nected with three different Associations, the Warren, the 
Sturb ridge, and the Worcester. It joined the Warren 
Association in 1774, seven years after the formation of 



54 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

that body. At that time some of our churches doubted 
the wisdom or propriety of association al organizations, 
fearing lest in time they might assume some ecclesiastical 
control of the churches, and so invade and violate their 
independence ; the doctrine of their absolute independence 
being one of our fundamental principles. Probably the 
delay of this church in joining the Warren Association 
was due to this fear. After having been a member of 
that body twenty-eight years, the church was one of those 
which united in forming the Sturbridge Association, in 
1802, and in 18 19 it was one of those that formed the 
Worcester Association, with which it has ever since been 
in happy fellowship. 

Five associational meetings have been held with this 
church, those of the Warren Association in 1778, the 
Sturbridge in 1807, and the Worcester in 1842, 1872, and 
1885. At the meeting of the Warren Association here, 
one hundred and ten years ago, President Manning, of 
Brown University, was present, and preached a sermon 
from the text, Ephesians iii., 8, 

" Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, 
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." 

When the church joined the Warren Association, in 
1774, Backus called it "the First Baptist Church in 
Leicester " ; and in a letter of commendation, given to 
Peter Rogers, in 18 13, it was spoken of as "the First 
Baptist Church in this place ". No change was made in 
its name till 1853, when it took the name of "the Green- 
ville Baptist Church in Leicester ", by which it is now 
known. 

We have no means of determining the membership of 
the church, previous to its union with the Warren 
Association in 1774, when its members were twelve. In 
the following year there was an addition of twenty, of 
whom nineteen were received by letter. During the six 
years of Dr. Foster's ministry, the additions were fifty- 
nine. In 1 8 10, twenty-three were added by baptism, and 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 55 

the next year four, making the whole number at that 
time seventy-eight. During the ten years of Rev. John 
Greene's ministry, the additions were ninety-seven, fifty- 
seven being by baptism. In one of those years, 1837, 
the additions were thirty-one, and the membership was 
increased to eighty, the largest ever reported. In sixty- 
five of the years since 1774, the number of members has 
been less than sixty. At the present time it is fifty-four. 
Of this number seven have been members more than 
fifty years, though one of them, for a time dismissed, has 
recently reunited with us. Their names, with the manner 
and dates of their admission to the church, are as follows : 

Dea. Asa W. Clark, Letter, June 4th, 1837. 

Mrs. Lydia W. Clark, Baptism, Oct. 23d, 1831. 

" Betsey G. Dimmick, " Mar. 30th, 1822. 

" Mary K. Draper, " Oct. 2d, 1836. 

" Eloise Leithead, " Aug. 12th, 1832. 

Miss Roxana Sprague, " Aug. 18th, 1822. 

Mrs. Roxana Whittemore, " Nov. 2d, 1827. 

They are all present here to-day, with two exceptions, Mrs. 
Dimmick, who resides in Illinois, and Mrs. Whittemore. 
Beyond this, it should be said that one of our former 
members, Miss Rhoda Hatch, baptized by Dr. Foster on 
the 4th of April, 1779, continued in the fellowship of the 
church till her death, on the 10th of June, 1843, a period 
of more than sixty-four years. Also Ebenezer Dunbar was 
baptized on the 30th of March, 1822, and continued a 
member till his death, on the 4th of November, 1877, at 
the age of one hundred years, seven months, and six days, 
he having been a pillar in the church more than half a 
century; and three of the seven persons just named as 
having been members of the church more than fifty years, 
Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Dimmick, and Mrs. Draper, were his 
children. 

It has been suggested, and with no little reason, that 
the small number of members belonging to the church in 



56 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

1774, was due to the dismission of a number of members 
to form a church in Spencer, twelve years before. That 
church was formed July 13th, 1762. After a time its meet- 
ings were held in the west part of this town, and finally 
they were removed to Charlton. In 1768, it joined the 
Warren Association, when Backus called it "the Second 
Baptist Church in Leicester." In the minutes of that 
Association, from 1768 to 1772, it has a place in the list 
of churches as the "Leicester" Church; after that it 
appears as the " Charlton " Church. It was under the 
pastoral care of Rev. Nathaniel Green, a from the time of 

a Nathaniel Green, born in " Charlestown-end ", April 16th, 1721, and 
for many years a resident of Leicester, was a man of note in the latter part 
of the last century, active, influential, and honored in our churches. " For a 
time he supplied a vacant church in Boston. He was noted for firmness and 
decision of character ; was an earnest christian, a plain, evangelical preacher, 
and was greatly beloved by a large circle whose spiritual wants had been sup- 
plied by his ministrations. He was a strenuous asserter of religious liberty, 
and did much towards bringing about that change of public sentiment, which 
within the memory of many living, resulted in the entire separation of 
church and State." x 

Once Mr. Green had an experience of distress, on account of the payment 
of church rates, from which our members here in Leicester were happily free. 

" Mr. Green was arrested for ministers' rates, and taken to Worcester to be 

imprisoned. By the advice of Colonel Chandler, 'he paid the 

fine and was released, after having been in custody six hours. The consta- 
ble gave him the following receipt. 

'""Leicester, February 13, 1769. 

" ' " This day I made distraint upon Mr. Nathanael Green's body, of Leices- 
ter, for his rate which he was rated in the year 1767, and received of said 
Nathanael Green, seventeen shillings, nine pence, one farthing, so much 
being in full for his province rate ; and also of said Nathanael Green, three 
shillings, nine pence, one farthing, being in full for his town and county rates 
for the year 1767 : I say, received by me, 

Benjamin Bond, Constable for the year 1767." 

" ' Mr. Green brought an action against the assessors for damages. The 
inferior court gave judgment in his favor, and allowed him forty shillings 
and costs of suit. The assessors appealed to the superior court, and the 
case was again decided in Green's favor. He was allowed all the money he 
had expended in the law and lawful costs.' " 2 

1 A Genealogical Sketch of the Descendants of Thomas Green[e], pp. 36, 37. 

2 Rev. S. Hall's Collection of Papers. Editor's Note in Backus' History. Vol. II., 
p. 460. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 57 

his ordination, October 12th, 1763, till his death in Charl- 
ton on the 2 1st of March, 1791. In 1783, that church 
had one hundred and fifty-five members, but now it has 
been for many years extinct. 

In 1767, a Baptist church was formed in Grafton, with 
four members, Joseph Whipple, Jacob Whipple, Ebenezer 
Wheeler, and Robert Leathe, all dismissed from our church. 

In 1 8 19, twenty-eight members were dismissed from 
this church to form a church in the north part of Spencer, 
where there had been a branch, called the north branch of 
the church. 

On Sunday, July 5th, 1786, the pastor of this church, 
Isaac Beall, preached in the south part of Princeton, near 
Holden. There was no private house that could hold the 
congregation, and therefore the meeting was held in a large 
barn. After the service, the people repaired to a small 
river, where the minister baptized two young men, one 
seventeen, and the other twenty years old. The name of 
one was Sylvanus Haynes; that of the other was Abel 
Woods, a brother of the distinguished Professor and 
Theologian, of Andover, Leonard Woods, D. D. 1 Soon 
those young men began to preach, at first in and near 
their native place. By their preaching, they did some- 
thing in the way of preparing material from which, years 
afterward, the church was formed in Holden. In the 
course of time, both were ordained and became useful 
preachers in Vermont, Mr. Haynes dying there in 1826, 
and Mr. Woods dying at Hamilton, N. Y., in 1850, 
both leaving the precious memory of those who are wise, 
and who turn many to righteousness. Through them 
and their work we catch a glimpse of the far reaching and 
beneficent influence exerted by this church in years gone 
by, though most of that influence is to us entirely 
unknown. 

In all the first forty years of the history of our church, 
there is only one person, of whose baptism and admission 

1 Sprague's Annals. Vol. VI., pp. 311-316. 



58 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

to it we know the date, and whose subsequent life we are 
able to trace. That person's name was Asaph Fletcher. 
He was born in Westford, June 28th, 1746. He was 
baptized here May 15th, 1768. In 1776, he married a 
daughter of Capt. Jonathan Green, of Stoneham, a distant 
relative of our Dr. Thomas Green. In 1780, he was a 
member of the Convention which framed the Constitution 
of this State; and in that Convention he made an earnest 
effort to have the principle of religious liberty grafted 
into the fundamental law of the commonwealth, so that 
"no man should be compelled to pay taxes for the support 
of preaching, but that all such contributions should be 
purely voluntary and according to the dictates of 
conscience." In that effort he did not succeed, but he 
lived to know that that principle was incorporated into our 
Constitution more than fifty years later. In 1787, he 
removed to Cavendish, Vt., where he was distinguished 
as a physician, for the part he took in civil affairs, and for 
the support he gave to the cause of religious liberty. In 
1 79 1, he was a member of the Convention called in 
Vermont to adopt the Constitution of the United States ; 
he was a member of the Convention called to revise the 
Constitution of that State, in 1793 ; and he was one of the 
Presidential Electors in 18 16. He died on the 5th of 
January, 1839. From the day of his baptism to the day 
of his death, a period of more than seventy years, he was 
an active and devoted christian man ; and he had the joy 
of seeing his children walk in his ways, and do honor to 
their name and parentage. Three of them were in public 
life, and widely known and honored ; Horace Fletcher, 
D. D., first a lawyer fifteen years, and then converted and 
a preacher more than twenty-five years ; Ryland F] etcher, 
Governor of Vermont, 1856-8; and Richard Fletcher, 
Member of Congress, 1837-9, and Judge of the Supreme 
Court of Massachusetts, 1848-53. 

During all the early years of our history, the members 
of this church were widely scattered, but how widely, and 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 59 

where, we cannot often tell. They were living in Paxton, 
Spencer, Charlton, Grafton, Princeton and Westford ; but 
these were not the only towns in which they might have 
been found waiting, consciously or unconsciously, for 
churches to grow up and absorb them. Of the thousand 
and more persons baptized by Dr. Green, we can trace 
but few. Some of them however lived in Newton. From 
the Rev. Dr. S. F. Smith's recent history of that town, 
we learn that on the first day of July, 1753, Mrs. Sarah 
Parker, of that place, was received as a member of the 
Second Baptist Church in Boston, then under the pastoral 
care of Rev. Ephraim Bound, in whose ordination Dr. 
Green had taken part ten years before; and that she had 
previously been baptized by Dr. Green. More than this, 
the historian says : 

"The town Records contain an attested certificate, signed by Rev. Mr. 
Green of Leicester, and dated September 9, 1754, affirming that he had 
baptized Messrs. John Hammond, Noah Wiswall, and Thomas Parker. 
The certificate reads thus : 

"'Newton, Sept. 9, 1754. This may certify whom it may concern that I, 
Thomas Green, baptized John Hammond, Noah Wiswall, Thomas Parker, 
all of said town. I say baptized by me, 

THOMAS GREEN, 
Pastor of the Baptist Church of Christ at Leicester.' 

"The year before this, May 14, 1753, Mr. Wiswall and others addressed 
a memorial to the town meeting, praying that they might be exempted from 
paying a ministerial tax for the support of the clergyman of the town, 
because they were conscientious Baptists, and paid a tax elsewhere. The 
town voted that their petition be not granted. Three years later, March 15, 
1756, some of the Baptists, it would seem, had fallen into arrears in respect 
to the payment of their ministerial rates to the town, hoping that the 
citizens would abate the demand. But the matter, being brought up in the 

town meeting, was summarily disposed of [the town refusing to 

excuse them ' for the time past ' or * for the future '] 

" Seven years after this, a certificate given by his pastor to Mr. Joseph 
Bartlett, of Newtown, defining the position of the latter, proves that the 
Baptists were still under oppression. The certificate is as follows : 

"'Leicester, June 20, 1763. This may certify all people whom it may 
concern, that Joseph Bartlett, of Newtown, doth belong to the Anabaptist 
church of Elder Thomas Green, of Leicester, and is under his pastoral 



60 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

care ; and doth desire the privilege the law gives, in being cleared from 
paying of rates to those of other ways of thinking. Tis we who are chosen 
by the church to give certificate to those. 

ELDER THOMAS GREEN, 
THOMAS HOLMAN, 
SAMUEL GREEN.' " 1 

This passage from that History, with its extracts from 
the Records of the Town of Newton, is of especial interest 
to us, because it shows the great extent of Dr. Green's 
field of labor ; the interest which he took in the members 
of his church ; and the oppression which they suffered in 
other places, while they were free from it here in 
Leicester. It also enables us to see in one of our early 
members something more than a mere name, for, in 
our oldest list of members," the sixth name is this — 

"Joseph Bartlet, deceast 1787, Newton." 

From this it appears that the person named in Dr. Green's 
exemption certificate was a member of this church till his 
death, twenty-four years later. 

Three times in this discourse, and twice as taking part 
in the ordination of ministers of this church, mention has 
been made of a second Thomas Green. He took part in 
the ordination of Mr. Beall here, and in that of Mr. Dana, at 
Newton. He was a grandson as well as namesake of our 
first pastor, and a son of the first Dr. John Green, of 
Worcester. He was born June 3d, 1761. He studied 
medicine with his father, and practised for a time in 
Lexington. Then having decided to preach the gospel, 
he studied Theology with Rev. Joseph Avery, an emi- 
nent Congregational minister in Holden. He was 
ordained pastor of a Baptist church in Cambridge, on 
the 26th of November, 1783. That church had been 

a The first four names of this list of members, are these : 
Benj. Foster, Pastor. 
Thomas Holman, ) 
Samuel Green, > Deacons. 
Isaac Choate, ) 

1 History of Newton, Massachusetts. By S. F. Smith, D. D., pp. 288-289. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 6l 

formed in 1781, in the part of Cambridge then known as 
Menotomy, afterwards West Cambridge, and now Arling- 
ton, and it is now the church in Arlington. He was pastor 
of that church eight years; and then he preached four 
years in Danvers. From the latter place he was called, in 

1797, to be the first pastor of the church in North Yar- 
mouth, Me. His ministry there continued seventeen 
years, though in his last years, on account of his failing 
health, he had the assistance of a colleague. He died on 
the 29th of May, 18 14, and was buried in the cemetery 
adjoining the meeting house in which he had preached 
so long. While at Cambridge, in 1790, he published a 
discourse on the subject of Baptism; and, on the nth 
of November in that year, he gave the Right Hand of 
Fellowship to the Rev. Thomas Baldwin, on the occasion 
of his installation as pastor of the Second Baptist Church 
in Boston. While at North Yarmouth, Me., he was 
Moderator of the Bowdoinham Baptist Association, with 
which his church was at first connected, four times, — in 

1798, 1800, 1802; he preached the Introductory Sermon 
before that body in 1800, and again in 1808 ; and he was 
the author of the Circular Letter, published in the Minutes 
of 1798, on the subject of Original Sin. He was also one 
of a committee of seven, appointed by the newly-formed 
Cumberland Association, in 181 1, to sign a petition to the 
Legislature of the Commonwealth, for the incorporation 
of a Literary and Theological Institution, in the District 
of Maine, which in due time was established at Water- 
ville, and has now become Colby University. In 1798, he 
received the honorary degree of A. M. from Brown 
University. Throughout all his ministry he continued 
his practice of medicine, and so, like his grandfather, he 
was a "physician for soul and body both." As a medical 
practitioner, he was skillful, active, and successful, "in 
diligence not slothful ;" and he had, in fullest measure, 
the confidence of his people. As a gospel minister, he 
excelled both as a preacher and as a pastor. He was 



62 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

endowed by nature with a commanding personal presence, 
a fine voice, one of the sweetest and richest ever heard, 
and intellectual gifts, reason and imagination, sensibility 
and sympathy, taste and judgment, of a high order; and 
they were all so admirably cultivated and used that, when 
he spake, men liked to listen, and were moved as he 
wished to move them. In the intercourse of social life, 
he had such ease and grace, good sense and kindliness, 
delicacy and courtesy, that his presence was always 
welcome, his speech attractive, and his influence quick- 
ening and elevating; and, in addition to all his other gifts 
and graces, he had the force which comes from a good 
man's life and character. In his latter years, he had an 
asthmatic trouble, which made the effort of walking 
almost suffocating, so that "he was, for a long time, 

carried into the meeting house in a chair, to 

preach to the people, who thought his presence alone, 
was a good part of a good sermon." Such was this Dr. 
Green, and when, years after his death, I was a student 
in the Academy in that village where he had lived, 
labored, and died, I found that his name and memory 
were fresh and fragrant in the church which he had done 
much to build up and make strong. Whether he was 
ever a member of this church or not, I cannot positively 
say, but certainly his connection with it was not remote.* 
The church has had two parsonages. The first came 
into its possession so long ago, and so long before parson- 
ages began to be common among our churches, that it 
deserves especial mention. It was a farm of " thirty-four 
acres more or less," with suitable buildings, situated about 
half a mile north of the meeting-house, on the street now 
called "Green street." The deed of conveyance was 
given by Benjamin Foster and his wife Elizabeth, of 
Newport, R. I., to Samuel Green, Isaac Choate, and 

* While these pages have been passing through the press, a new house of 
worship, erected by the church of which Dr. Green was pastor those seven* 
teen years, has been finished and dedicated, and back of the pulpit 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 63 

Samuel Richardson, committee of the Baptist Church and 
Society, " known by the name of Doct. Thomas Green's 
Church and Society in Leicester," and " to their succes- 

there has been placed a stained glass window, in the centre of which is this 
inscription : 

^rectet* fcs Mb gnmtt clifttrren 
ftt mentors of 

jFCrst pastor, 

Installed Jan- tstli, t?97. 

& pvmthtv eloquent ants tefthful. 

®l\x Ignore* JJftsisfcfcnt. 

He Me& ftelobeft ml* lamented, 

M%12 29tft 181^, %e& 52 grsL 

"Eo ifbe m fiearts toe leabe fceMn*! 

Is not to Me-" 

This inscription is so wrought in the window as to have the effect of a 
gold tablet bordered with jewels. The legend, with which it closes, is 
copied from the simple inscription on Dr. Green's grave-stone, which, 
besides these words, contains only his name and age. The words of the 
legend have been spoken of by one of his grand daughters, Mrs. Pike, as "so 
brave, so full of feeling, they must have been an utterance of his cheerful 
and loving heart." 

All the surviving grandchildren of Dr. Green, Mrs. Mary Hayden (Green) 
Pike, Mrs. Emma Sophia (Green) Smith, Mrs. Maria Archibald (Hobbs) 
Scott, and Mrs. Mary Green (Jewett) Haskins, have had a part in the erection 
of this memorial window. Mrs. Pike is the daughter of Elijah Dix Green, who 
for twenty-five years was deacon of the First Baptist Church in Calais, Me., 
and widow of the late Hon. Frederick A. Pike, of Calais, a member of 
Congress eight years, 1861-1869, and deceased December 2d, 1886; Mrs. 
Pike is known in the literary world as the author of "Ida May." Mrs. 
Smith is also the daughter of Deacon Elijah Dix Green, and wife of Charles 
Hart Smith, of Baltimore, Md. Mrs. Scott is the daughter of Salome 
Barstow Green and George Hobbs of Eastport, Me., and wife of Capt. 
Peter A. Scott, R. N., of Halifax, N. S. Mrs. Haskins is the daughter of 
Rebecca Hammand Green and Jesse Jewett, and widow of the late Henry 
Haskins, of Gardner, Me. ; she now resides in Dorchester, Mass. 



64 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

sors in office for the sole use and benefit of sd 

church and society forever, so long as grass grows and 
water runs" ; and it was dated the 23d day of September, 
1785. The consideration named in the deed was "one 

hundred and thirty-five pounds lawful silver money 

paid by Capt. Jonathan Newhall, Gentleman, and Doct. 
Isaac Green, Physician " ; and the conditions of the con- 
veyance were that " the yearly income of the said premises" 
should be " appropriated for the maintenance and support of 
Revd. Isaac Beal, Pastor of sd church and society during 
the term of his ministry, and for all succeeding ministers 
preaching to said church and society, regularly approved 
of by sd church and society." The farm was thus 
used till, leave having been obtained from the General 
Court, it was sold in 1856, for fifteen hundred dollars, 
which sum was invested as a permanent fund, "so as not 
to impair the intention of the original donors." The 
present parsonage, near the church, was built by subscrip- 
tions, in 1870. 

The church has had a Sunday School since 1821. In 
that year from ten to twenty persons are known to have 
met in a school-house not far distant, after the services in 
the meeting-house, on the Lord's Day, for the purpose of 
Sunday School instruction. At the approach of cold 
weather, the school was suspended for the winter, as 
were most Sunday Schools of that time. In its first few 
years the school was not very promising; but in 1829, a 
student from Newton, Mr. Byram Lawrence, spent a few 
weeks here, visited most of the families, and awakened an 
interest in Sunday School work, such as had never been 
felt before. The next year, after Rev. John Greene had 
entered on his work, the school increased from twenty-five 
scholars in July to eighty in October, and it was continued 
through the winter. The next year, 1831, there were one 
hundred scholars in the school; and in 1834, the number 
rose to one hundred and sixty, the largest number ever 
reported. Since then, according to published reports, th e 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 6$ 

number of scholars has exceeded one hundred only three 
times. In those early years the school had the charm of 
novelty, but soon that charm faded, "faded into the light of 
common day," and for fifty years the school has been 
sustained only by the painstaking and effort of those who 
love it, and prize its beneficent influence. During the 
last ten years, the number of scholars connected with the 
school has averaged eighty-two, with ten teachers, and an 
average attendance of fifty-five. 

In the benevolent objects of the churches, — Home and 
Foreign Missions, Ministerial Education, and the like, — 
the church became interested quite early ; and for a 
church of its numbers and pecuniary ability, its known 
contributions for these objects have not been stinted. 
Since 1821, its reported contributions have averaged 
$53.30 a year ; in the last twenty-five years, the average 
has been $85.50 ; and in the last twelve years, the 
average has been $109.60, though in several of these 
earlier and later years reports of contributions are wholly 
lacking. 

More than fifty years ago, the church said in one of its 
letters, "We live in a temperance community"; and it 
has always been remarkably free from a vice, which once 
was common, and from which many other churches, " in 
the good old times," suffered much. 

The church has had its troubles, alienations of feeling, 
neglect of covenant obligations, cases of discipline, and 
the exclusion of members ; but the records show that 
only seldom has it suffered from gross offences against 
common morality, or from the violation of any of the Ten 
Commandments. 

Some incidents in the outward life and fortunes of this 
church have now been recounted ; but nothing has been 
said of the inner life and experience of the more than six 
hundred and fifty souls, whose names have been enrolled 
in its lists of members, — would that I could also say, with 
equal confidence, written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 



66 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 

■ This inner experience is veiled and hidden from our sight, 
awaiting the revelations of the Last Day. 

This church has seen four generations of men live and 
pass away, and she is living with the fifth. She shows 
how churches, like towns and states, live on, while 
individual men and generations come and go like the 
leaves of forest trees, that are renewed and scattered on 
the ground year by year. She is like the river that flows 
through our village, and is flowing still, though for ages 
its waters have been flowing past, hasting away and 
mingling with the waters of the sea. 

This is a little church. It has always been a little 
church. It has been one of the least among the thousands 
of our denomination. Daniel Webster said of Dartmouth 
College, " It is, as I have said, a small college. And yet 
there are those who love it." So I may say, this is a 
small church, and " yet there are those who love it ". 
There have been some who have loved it, and prayed for 
it, for a hundred and fifty years. There are some who 
love it, and pray for it now, with the feeling that cries, 

" My soul shall pray for Zion still 
While life or breath remains." 

And there is another who loves it,' — he who holds the 
stars in his right hand, who walks among the golden 
candlesticks, and wears the names of all his churches, and 
of all his saints, of .earliest and of latest time, engraved 
upon his heart. He knows our works. He sees and 
rebukes the evil, and commends the good. He knows 
to exalt the humble arid to abase the proud. He says to 
each, "Be watchful and strengthen the things that 
remain." And of all who walk, as some of this church 
have walked, in this world, with garments undefiled, he 
says, " They shall walk with me in white, for they are 
worthy." 

May our observance of this day make it a Red Letter 
Day in the history of the church. May new life, inspira- 
tion, aspiration, and consecration, come to its heart, and 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 6? 

be ever renewed as " the days go on ". May its history 
in all the years to come be an ever fresh illustration of 
what the Psalmist said of the righteous, " They shall 
bring forth fruit in old age ." May its banner always be 
the banner of the Cross, borne aloft and known of all men, 
as that sign, by which the sacramental host of God's elect 
shall conquer. And may " Holiness to the Lord " be 
enstamped on the heart and character of all the members 
of this church, and in all their life and conduct may they 
be ruled by none other motto than this, — 

"For Christ and the Church." 



ORIGINAL HYMN. 



At the close of the historical discourse, the following hymn, written for 
the occasion by Rev. David F. Estes, of Holden, was sung to the tune of 
"Migdol." 



Each fiftieth year, in Israel's land, 
Thy people, Lord, kept jubilee ; 

The Trumpets sounded holy joy, 
From Eastern desert to the sea. 

Thrice fifty years behind us lie, — 

Our jubilee we keep to-day ; 
With praise past mercies we recount, 

And future blessings humbly pray. 

For all the grace of all these years 
Our songs of gratitude we raise, 

For wisdom, patience, strength and love, 
For faith, and deed, and hope, we praise. 

Unto this church in years to come 
May all thy gifts continued be, 

And farther yet thy power extend, 
Till all the earth keep jubilee. 

Then to the Father, — throned in heaven, 
And to the Son, — love's gift of love, 

And to the Spirit, — Three in One, — 
Be endless praise, below, above. 



ADDRESSES 



Dr. Estes, introducing the speakers of the afternoon, 
said: "Among the descendants of Dr. Green, whom we 
welcome here to-day, there is one who has taken a lively 
interest in this celebration, from its inception. He has 
shown his interest in many ways ; especially by erecting 
this fine Tablet in memory of his distinguished ancestor, 
and letting us see it unveiled here to-day. To him we will 
now gladly listen, — the Hon. Mr. Green, of New York. 

ADDRESS OF HON. ANDREW HASWELL GREEN. 

We listened this morning with great pleasure and 
instruction to the story of the foundation and fortunes of 
this church, from its present learned and much respected 
pastor. 

Of the Society and of its first minister, so thorough has 
been the research of Dr. Estes, and so admirable the 
mode of its presentation, that nothing remains to be said 
on those subjects. He has led us back through the past 
one hundred and fifty years, and wherever he has reaped, 
there is little for another to glean. 

The praises of Dr. Thomas Green have been sufficiently 
sounded. To avoid repetition, I will ask you to accompany 
me nearly a century farther into the regions of the past, 
to the times of his remote ancestry in this country. 

More than a quarter of a thousand years ago there 
came to our shores a lone emigrant. From what part of 
England he came, or in what garb, or whether under 



*J2 ADDRESSES. 

contract for service or labor, we know not, and of his 
proportions, his height, weight, or the color of his hair, 
we are equally ignorant. 

He was synchronous with very active and troublesome 
times in England, whose monarch was already framing 
the timbers for his own scaffold. He doubtless left his 
home partly on account of a desire for exemption from 
religious constraints, and perhaps with some curiosity to 
see what was going on in the new world. He may have 
bidden John Milton farewell at his father's law office in 
Bread Street, London, or helped " waste a sullen day " 
with him at his country retreat, at Horton, while he was 
giving the finishing touches to a mask, Comus, prepara- 
tory to its presentation at Ludlow Castle. He may, too, 
have visited Shakespeare at Stratford, or applauded his 
dramatic capacities from the pit of some London theatre. 
Of all this we really know but very little ; it is chiefly 
guesswork. But on the other hand this we do know, 
that our emigrant was named Thomas Green, and that 
he lived at the same time with the illustrious persons 
whom I have mentioned. 

To bring the best proof we have of kinship with 
them, which it must be admitted is not very conclusive, 
I may mention that Benjamin Green was one of the 
subscribing witnesses to that agreement by which, for 
five pounds, the great Milton, poet, statesman, scholar, 
transferred his immortal epic to the printer, Symons. 
And this further history affirms, that Thomas Green was 
a relative of, and fellow comedian with, William Shake- 
speare, and that Shakespeare's father possessed an estate, 
known as Green Hill. 

Can it be counted strange therefore that all of the 
name of Green should set their faces in determined 
hostility to the insidious attempts of the Wisconsin man, 
who would deprive our relative, the " divine William," of 
the glory of the authorship of his own works ? And we 
take to ourselves this added merit, that with singular 



HON. ANDREW H. GREEN. 73 

forbearance and rare disinterestedness, in this day, we 
make no claim whatever to the estates, real or personal, 
of these eminent relatives, however great they may have 
been, nor do we propose to contest any of the dispositions 
they may have expressed in their respective last wills or 
testaments. 

It is scarcely worth while on this occasion, when this 
church is uppermost in the mind, to mention other 
eminent characters of his time in church and State, in 
arms and letters, with whom our emigrant ancestor may 
have had some intimacy. We republicans care little to 
speak of kings and princes, but there were then active 
in office, Bacon, Dr. South, Cromwell, Laud, Edmund 
Spenser, Hooker and Ben. Johnson. 

When the first Thomas Green set foot on this conti- 
nent, Roger Williams was already here, then enjoying the 
society of his afterward persecutors. The same Williams, 
whose life and services have been so well and so sympa- 
thizingly recounted by that able historian and distin- 
guished citizen of Rhode Island, my earliest friend, the 
late Honorable Samuel Greene Arnold, whose near 
relatives honor this occasion with their presence, side by 
side with collateral relatives of that apostle of liberty, who 
founded a government on the fundamental principle that 
the civil power should have no control over the conscience, 
and also by the side of the worthy sons of that other of 
the same name, the Reverend William R. Williams, the 
most distinguished of the denomination of which he was 
alike the ornament and exemplar. 

Our immigrant and his descendants dwelt in this 
commonwealth, along the shores of the sea, for nearly a 
full century. We find him and them in Maiden in 1650, 
and cannot say that we know very much about them. 
They probably led the average life of the period, 
which, though somewhat dull and monotonous, was 
occasionally enlivened by the scream of the war-whoop, 
and the gleam of the scalping knife. Those differences 



74 ADDRESSES. 

between the Puritans, the Pilgrims, and the Baptists had 
begun to crop out, which culminated in the founding of 
Rhode Island. 

In 1717, a grandson of our immigrant, Captain Samuel 
Green, started with his only son for the high and pic- 
turesque lands of the interior, making his way through 
the wilderness of the forests and taking his chances of 
aboriginal hospitalities. As were the Lambs, the Lyndes, 
the Dennys, Kings, Clarks, Soutbgates, Earles and Hen- 
shaws, so was he one of the early settlers of this ancient 
and beautiful town, of Leicester, originally known as Straw- 
berry Hill, as he was also an original proprietor of the 
neighboring town of Hardwick. The house just over the 
little river that tumbles along in the rear of this edifice, 
was built by him as a garrison, where the settlers could 
gather in defense against the savages. 

Here on the banks of this river which turned his father's 
mill, settled and lived the son, Thomas Green, the 
founder and pastor of this church. He was alike clergy- 
man and physician, practising both professions with 
general approval and satisfaction. On Sunday he preached 
on this spot, while at his home across the way the pot 
was kept boiling, to supply the needed sustenance to the 
little flock who came from all directions to attend upon 
his ministrations. Here he set the candlestick, and may 
he perish who would with sacrilegious hand extinguish its 
light. 

Skilled in the medical art, travelling far, for those days, 
he became celebrated in that noble profession of healing, 
which is worthy, in its worthy members, of the highest 
esteem, honor and reward. Here he lived, here he died, 
revered and respected, at the age of seventy-four, having 
ministered in this place for thirty-eight years. Among 
his descendants not a few have become eminent in both 
the professions that he united in his person. 

The air is just now full of politics, and important ques- 
tions are justly claiming public attention, but this is not 



HON. ANDREW H. GREEN. 75 

the place for their discussion. Looking, however, through 
the simple annals of this settlement, I can but be struck 
with the truth of what has often been said, that things 
move in a circle, each epoch repeating itself in some 
other period, not always in equal extent and importance, 
but the same in substance and principle. 

In the days of which we have been speaking, there was, 
it is true, no occasion for an assembly of wise men to 
cudgel their brains, month after month, to find a way to 
be rid of surplus moneys in the treasury, when we have 
thousands of miles of unfortified coasts, millions of 
uneducated citizens, and no end of unimproved channels 
of communication. That occupation may be deemed 
peculiar to this age, and not likely to occur with frequency. 

In the colonial days the mother country imposed duties 
and restrictions on trade that kept manufacturers within 
her own borders. We hope that she finds no agencies in 
our day that would aid her to bring about similar results. 

But take the question of immigration, which is now 
brought to the front, and of which our respected fore- 
father was an example. Suppose immigration had been 
forbidden a couple of hundred years ago, where should we 
all be? Who but savages would occupy Greenville, and 
what but bears and wolves the beautiful hills of Leicester ? 
Shall we prohibit the stranger coming to this land ? 
That is what the Indians would have done. It is simply 
but a proposition to repeat what was and is made a criti- 
cism of the Puritan, that he began very early to send 
away those who did not agree with him in his religious 
views, and in their relations to the civil government. 

Already, in our day, the enforced return of poor immi- 
grants who have just lifted their eyes upon the promised 
land, has been the occasion of hardship and cruelty. It 
would be interesting to know from those who propose to 
restrict immigration, to whom they would commit the 
delicate duty of determining who shall come and who shall 
be stayed. Shall it be to some obscure consul, whose only 



y6 ADDRESSES. 

qualification for his office lies in the service he has ren- 
dered in magnifying the power that appoints him ? Is the 
inquisitorial power of determining upon the social and 
moral fitness of those who shall be permitted to come to this 
land of freedom, to be left to an arbitrament of this sort? 

In this day of progress and enlightenment, when the 
ocean is fairly corrugated with the tracks of multiplied 
steamers, bringing thousands to this land of their hopes, 
when railways innumerable are inviting them to the fertile 
unoccupied millions of acres of our domain, is it possible, 
if it were desirable, to stay the voluntary movements of 
the race ? 

Rather, say I, let men and women go where they please, 
and stay as long as they please on the face of the earth, 
while they submit themselves to the laws, and strive 
to maintain those moral, economical and social standards 
upon which the permanency of our institutions depend. 

Even the great fishery question, which is just now being 
made the basis of a policy of retaliation and unfriendliness 
toward our neighbors, had its counterpart in the pre- 
mature times of this little village. 

It is related that an early settler, whose name is said to 
have been Green, possessor of a small lake in this region, 
probably at what was called "Wolf Pit Swamp," being much 
dissatisfied with the Boston traders by reason of the high 
price they put upon their salt fish, inaugurated, or threat- 
ened to inaugurate, a policy of retaliation, much to the 
satisfaction of his worthy neighbors who also wanted fish. 
Whereupon he proposed to import a sufficient quantity of 
salt to make a brine of his lake, and raise salt fish right 
here at home, unless the Boston sharks would deal with 
him on more reasonable terms. 

Doubtless his threatened policy of retaliation soon 
brought the Boston merchants to their senses. A striking 
instance is this of the advantages that may accrue from 
disturbing friendly relations with neighbors. 

Would it not be somewhat more consonant with the 



HON. ANDREW H. GREEN. 7/ 

spirit of this age, instead of nursing for political purposes 
a policy of retaliation, to avoid all occasions of needless 
irritation that do so much to disturb business affairs ? 
Rather let us cultivate friendly relations with all peoples, 
and do what we may to hasten the day when a nation 
shall be something more and better than a mere camp of 
armed soldiers. 

" One generation passeth away, and another generation 
cometh : . . . . The thing that hath been, it is that which 
shall be ; and that which is done is that which shall be 
done: and there is no new thing under the sun." 

Thus it appears that events do repeat themselves in 
different eras and upon different stages, and lest the too 
frequent spectacle of one having but little to say, and 
wanting in that rare perception that teaches when to stop, 
should occur at this juncture, I will at once apply the 
brakes, not however till I have joined in high hopes and 
good wishes for the prosperity of this interesting com- 
munity, and for the peace and permanent usefulness of 
the little sanctuary which it has so long maintained. 



78 ADDRESSES. 

Dr. Estes : — Another of the honored decendants of 
Dr. Green, here present, is widely known as one of the 
most eminent librarians in the country. He has won this 
distinction by his work in connection with the Free Public 
Library of Worcester. He has been deeply interested in 
this celebration from the first. We listened to him for a 
few moments this morning, but we wish to hear him speak 
again, and more at length, — Mr. Samuel S. Green, of 
Worcester. 

ADDRESS OF SAMUEL SWETT GREEN, A. M. 

As I stood, not long ago, on an elevation behind the 
mansion on Green Hill, Worcester, looking at the differ- 
ent villages that were in sight, I glanced towards the south 
and, seeing before me the spire and buildings on Leicester 
Hill, could not help thinking that Thomas Green, when 
he brought his son, the first Dr. John Green, to Worcester, 
at the age of about twenty-one years, selected Green Hill 
for his residence, in order that his native town might 
always be in sight from a spot near his house, and that 
the recollections of his home might continually call to 
mind the lessons in right living he had there received. 
The existing house is a pleasant reminder of the original 
dwelling occupied by John Green the first. With a fitting 
reverence for antiquity, when changed requirements called 
for a larger house, the present proprietor, Mr. Andrew H. 
Green, instead of pulling down the old house, cut it in two, 
and moving one portion back, built a stately mansion 
between the two halves of the old house. You enter a 
hall with a low ceiling and passing through a portion of 
the old house, go into the lofty hall and large decorated 
rooms of an elegant modern dwelling, and, going through 
these apartments, pass again into the rear of the old 
house. 



SAMUEL S. GREEN. 79 

In front of the dwelling stands a venerable locust tree, 
which, tradition avers, grew from a whip-switch given to 
the first Dr. John Green, in Leicester, and planted by him 
in front of his house. The giver is said to have been the 
wealthy and hospitable Aaron Lopez, whose advent in 
Leicester and life here, and whose sad and peculiar death, 
add picturesqueness to the revolutionary period of the 
history of the town. 

As I rode up to Leicester with my father, a few years 
since, to take part in the one hundred and fiftieth anni- 
versary of the settlement of the place, he gave me another 
reason for the selection of Green Hill as the residence of 
the first Dr. John Green. He told me that the tradition 
was that Thomas Green placed his son on Green Hill 
because there he would be far away from taverns and 
their temptations. When the character of John Green 
is considered, the precaution seems to have been unneces- 
sary, although the alleged care for his son by Thomas 
Green is admirable. 

I like to think of Thomas Green as the brave pioneer, 
as the doctor-preacher, and as the itinerant physician. I 
feel a great respect for the courageous men who, in the 
days of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, and in the earlier 
days of the Province of Massachusetts, bravely faced 
privations, and dangers from wild animals and the equally 
wild Indian, and took up their residence in frontier towns. 

Many of the ministers and other professional men who 
came to Massachusetts Bay colony at the time of its 
settlement, had studied medicine in anticipation of the 
need of physicians in the new plantations. In some 
studies which I made regarding early church history 
in the Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies, it became 
evident to me that the first Pilgrim doctor, Doctor Fuller, 
while he failed (when he went to Dorchester, Mattapan, 
and let the blood of twenty patients) to convince Rev. Mr. 
Warham of the correctness of his views regarding the 
true constitution of a church, yet exerted considerable 



8o ADDRESSES. 

influence in favor of the congregational order of eccles- 
iastical government by presenting the arguments for it to 
Governors Endicott and Winthrop. 

John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts 
Bay colony, had a useful knowledge of medicine, and 
John Winthrop, the governor of Connecticut, was quite 
famous for his knowledge of medicine as practised in his 
day. Charles Chauncey and Leonard Hoare, two presi- 
dents of Harvard College, and several children of Chaun- 
cey, were clergymen and doctors at the same time. The 
"angelical conjunction," as Cotton Mather quaintly styled 
the union of the two latter professions, was common 
in early times among us. 

Dr. Thomas Green lived in the time of the two 
Mathers, Increase and Cotton, and like them engaged at 
the same time in the duties of two professions. 

An interesting relic of the times of Thomas Green may 
be seen in the museum on Green Hill. It is a pot in 
which beans were stewed in his house to serve as a meal 
between services on Sunday to parishioners whose homes 
were distant. 

It reminds us of those little houses that were sometimes 
built near churches to serve as places of rest and refresh- 
ment at noon on Sunday. 

In Greenville, Thomas Green's own house seems to 
have been open to worshipers from a distance for shelter 
and food during their nooning. 

In the library of the American Antiquarian Society in 
Worcester is an unpublished manuscript of a medical 
treatise by Cotton Mather, which gives information of 
the most interesting kind regarding the remedies in use 
in his day and the time of Thomas Green. It is entitled 
The Angel of Bethesda. Many extracts were made from 
this manuscript by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, for a 
lecture which he delivered several years ago at the Lowell 
Institute, Boston, under the auspices of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society. 



SAMUEL S. GREEN. 8 1 

Robert Southey, in that inimitable piece of literary 
work known as The Doctor, introduces in one of the 
chapters a character whom he styles Dr. Green, and who, 
like Thomas Green, acted the part of an itinerant doctor. 

The Doctor Green of the story, like judges on circuit, 
or like Methodist clergymen in sparsely settled portions 
of our country, went from place to place to give advice 
and attend to patients. He is represented as a good 
physician and as one whose services were valuable. How 
important must have been the services of Thomas Green 
as he went from town to town in Massachusetts, and to 
towns in New Hampshire and Connecticut, from Leicester 
as a centre, and ministered to wants only commonly 
supplied by the advice and remedies of old women of both 
sexes, or by traveling quacks. 

The skilful physician went from town to town, and as he 
healed the body of a patient, comforted him in his trouble, 
or gently stimulated him to correct living. 

They were giants in the days of Thomas Green. Tradi- 
tion tells us that the early members of our family of 
Greens had to stoop as they passed under the lintel of the 
front door of an old fashioned house. When the bones of 
Samuel and Thomas Green were disinterred from the 
burial ground here and transported to their present resting 
place in the Rural cemetery in Worcester, it was noticed 
that they were of very unusual size. 

Let me pause here to say that it seems to me that the 
remains of those distinguished residents of Greenville 
should be brought back to their original burial place near 
this church. 

It is said that one of the exciting and interesting 
spectacles in Worcester in the time of my grandfather, the 
second Dr. John Green, was the sight of that worthy man 
as, tall of stature and mounted on his horse, with saddle- 
bags behind him, he galloped along Main street followed 
by a pack of hounds to visit his patients. 



82 ADDRESSES. 

Tradition states that on the occasion of one of his visits 
at the house of Governor Lincoln, one of the accompany- 
ing dogs seized a piece of meat that was roasting on the 
spit and made off with it. His master chased him, but I 
have always understood that he did not recover the stolen 
joint. 

Governor Washburn, in his history of Leicester, says 
that the family of Greens was the most numerous of the 
families in this town. But even at the time when he 
wrote, few only bearing the name remained here. The 
descendants of Thomas Green are scattered over the land. 
They would send you greeting to day if they knew of this 
celebration. Can we not send them a printed record of 
our proceedings ? In many places members of the family 
have made themselves a distinguished place ; generally 
they have been useful citizens. Wherever the descend- 
ants of Thomas Green are to be found, some members of 
the family undoubtedly remember with interest the home 
and the virtues of their ancestors. 






REV. LEIGHTON WILLIAMS. 83 

Dr. Estes : — Of these gentlemen who have now 
addressed us, the former had among his friends for many- 
years, the late William R. Williams, D. D., than whose 
name none has been more honored, in our own, or any 
other christian body of the land. At one of our great 
national anniversaries, I once heard it said at the election 
of its officers, " There is but one William R. Williams." 
It was a deserved tribute to his great ability, his sound 
judgment, his singular wisdom as a counsellor, his vast 
learning, and his marvellous grace of diction, such that 
while we speak of Milton's " cloth of gold/' Macaulay's, 
" Tyrian purple," and Channing's "vesture of light," 
we may fitly speak of Dr. William's " grace abounding" in 
his speech, as if St. Paul had said to him alone, " Let 
your speech be always with grace." He has passed away, 
but he has left a successor, a son who, like himself, was 
first a lawyer, and then a preacher and pastor of the 
Amity Church. I am glad that he is here present, and 
that we can listen to him to-day; the Rev. Leigh ton 
Williams, of New York. 

ADDRESS OF REV. LEIGHTON WILLIAMS. 

Mr. President and Christian Friends : 

It is a privilege which I highly appreciate to participate 
with you in this commemorative service, an honor to be 
invited to address you on such an occasion. I am at a 
loss to know to what I owe it, other than that I am a 
friend of the distinguished member of this distinguished 
family who first addressed you this afternoon, and that I 
am a son and a grandson of men who were ministers of 
the same faith and order as this church. 



84 ADDRESSES. 

I have listened, sir, with the keenest interest to the 
brief but comprehensive and admirable account which you 
have given us of the history of this church. And as I 
have listened, I have more clearly understood what was at 
first to me a marvel, the continued history of this church 
through one hundred and fifty years of unbroken exist- 
ence. In our country the one hundred and fiftieth anni- 
versary of any organization is noteworthy, but when I 
learned that at no period of its history had this church 
numbered more than eighty .members, and had been 
reduced at another time to twelve members, yet had never 
ceased to exist, but had maintained its regular succession 
of services, rarely been without a pastor and never 
without a home, it appeared to me marvellous. Back of 
the fewness, and the feebleness of the outward appear- 
ances, had been the unfailing supplies of divine grace to 
feed the flame and hold the candlestick unshaken in its 
place, and the question arose to my mind, why has this 
church been thus richly blessed ? 

But, sir, as I listened to your narrative of its history, 
simple as that narrative was, devoid of eulogy and scanty 
of comment, I gleaned from the statement a fact here 
and a fact there, till there grew in my mind a picture of 
the faith that founded and the faith that has maintained 
this church, and I understood at length the secret of its 
vitality and strength. 

I learned, sir, that it had always been a missionary 
church, yielding no grudging share of its own slender 
resources to the calls of those yet more needy, and I 
recognized a brilliant illustration of the promise that 
those that water others, shall themselves be watered. 

I marked, sir, the consistent fidelity of the church to 
the cardinal principle of our denominational polity, the 
independence of the local church and its protest against 
any usurpation of power on the part of the association of 
sister churches, a protest involving at times, doubtless, no 
inconsiderable sacrifice on the part of a church not rich 



REV. LEIGHTON WILLIAMS. 85 

as the world estimates riches, and a fidelity difficult to 
maintain against the allurement of proffered aid and 
support, and as I marked this unwavering steadfastness to 
principle through a long cycle of years, I heard the 
voice of that unseen one who walks among the golden 
candlesticks, saying, " Because thou hast kept the word of 
my patience, I also will keep thee." 

Not that before an audience numbering many of the 
differing branches of the one universal church drawn here 
to rejoice with us, it would be seemly to boast of those 
distinctive principles of our denomination in which we 
differ from them. To none is it given to see truth in its 
entirety and we make no claim to infallibility ; but to the 
truth, as each of us sees it, it is our duty to hold fast, and 
so this church has done, and has been blessed in doing. 

As we glance back to-day over the roll of those who 
have served this church from the honored present pastor 
to him who first founded it, through the long vista of the 
intervening years, no name shines with a higher lustre 
than that of him who gave to it its beginning. And rec- 
ognizing the truth of the saying that grace made the 
heroes of the christian church what they were, not found 
them so, we rejoice and thank God for what Thomas 
Green was and for what he accomplished, for to Him who 
endued His servant with such excellent grace, and sent 
him forth, our thanks are chiefly due. 

Singular it seems, that we who knew him not, a hundred 
years or more after he had passed from the earth, should 
gather to do honor to his name. What great thing did 
this man do that generations then unborn rise up and call 
him blessed ? What exalted positions did he fill? He 
was a country doctor, and pastor of a village church 
in the wilderness. Do these words seem to you ill 
chosen ? I hope not justly so, for in the contrast between 
the humble stations, as men view them, which he filled, 
and the memory that he has left, is the great interest 
and lesson of his life to us. 



86 ADDRESSES. 

What a pleasing picture of him is that which is pre- 
served for us in the diary of Dr. Backus, the historian of 
our denomination in these New England states. The 
physician, devoted to a large practice through a wide 
district, and surrounded by students ; the man of business, 
occupied constantly with a multiplicity of affairs demand- 
ing accurate and minute attention, — yet not so absorbed 
in the matters of this world as to give little thought to 
those of the world beyond, — nay, pre-eminently the 
preacher of that kingdom to come; a pilgrim here, seek- 
ing a better country, that is a heavenly, hereafter. 

Thomas Green was not unmindful of present duty, not 
" slothful in business " — an idle dreamer in the world's busy 
mart ; but above the concerns of earth, he held those of 
heaven, and though, for the time, he tarried and bartered 
in Vanity Fair, he never mistook its tinsel and glitter for 
the jeweled walls of the Celestial City. 

As we review at this distant day, the story of his simple 
life, there is something especially interesting to us in the 
union in him of the medical and ministerial professions. 
The christian world is much agitated at the present junct- 
ure with the question of medical missions, and much is 
said of the work and the worth of the medical missionary. 
We deem ourselves to have, as it were, discovered anew 
in our day, the natural, appropriate connection between 
the works of healing the sick and preaching the gospel, 
and quote the example of the Master and His disciples no 
less as our warrant for uniting them, than as the condem- 
nation of our fathers in suffering them so long to be 
divorced. But by Thomas Green, and such as he, we find 
ourselves forestalled, and our fancied invention in antique 
operation. And thus we discover a new lustre, throwing 
a halo, as it were, about the prosaic pursuits and unpre- 
tending figure of the village doctor of a century and a half 
ago, unknown to himself, unsuspected by those about him. 
As the planets reflect back a portion of the light they 
receive from the sun, and thus, unconsciously, shine in his 



REV. LEIGHTON WILLIAMS. 87 

reflected glory and give light to others, so does such a 
character reflecting the likeness of the Master, shine with 
a glory of which he is himself unconscious. 

It was a striking example of the perpetuation of 
influence, that to which our attention was called by the 
gentleman who immediately preceded me upon this plat- 
form, himself an honored representative of this honored 
line : namely, that the medical profession had been 
represented in every generation since that of Thomas 
Green, and that the two professions had been again united 
in the person of Dr. Samuel F. Green, so long a devoted 
missionary in Ceylon. Truly this ancestral lustre, like 
the glory of the setting sun flashing from peak to peak, 
has illumined a long and noble succession. 

Nor have the descendants of Thomas Green been distin- 
guished in the ministerial or medical professions solely or 
chiefly. The wide and influential work accomplished in 
the field of education by two ladies of his family, sisters 
of the honorable gentleman who first addressed us this 
afternoon, and who are themselves present with us to-day, 
calls for special mention. Allusion has been made to the 
educational labors of Thomas Green, so remarkable at that 
early day, in fitting upwards of one hundred young men 
for the medical profession. The work of the Misses 
Green in New York, a was carried through a longer num- 
ber of years, and during the period of their conduct of it, 
their school for young ladies graduated something like 
ten times that number. When we think of the influence 
of the mother and wife in the formation of character, the 
vast importance of female education conducted on a sound 
moral and religious basis must be fully admitted, and the 
work accomplished by such schools as theirs is not to be 
lightly estimated. 

But Thomas Green's highest claim to our remembrance 
is as a soldier of the cross of Christ, and the weapons of 

a Miss Lucy Merriam Green, and Mrs. Mary Ruggles (Green) Knudsen. 



88 ADDRESSES. 

his warfare, though not carnal but spiritual, were mighty 
to the pulling down of strongholds and to the establish- 
ment of his Master's kingdom. The profound utterance 
of the first Napoleon is familiar, doubtless, to many of 
you : that that Kingdom differs from every other in that 
its basal principle is not force but love. So, also, is it true 
that each warrior of that Kingdom conquers by the power 
of love. Not by force and fear, but by love and persuasion 
did Thomas Green win new trophies for his Master's 
crown. And who can resist that power and justify his 
continued rebellion ? For those who remain unconvinced 
by arguments addressed to the reason there may be 
excuses, but what shall be said of him who fights against 
love ? Is it not to convict himself, to judge himself 
unworthy ? 

Wisely, therefore, did Thomas Green choose the instru- 
ments of his warfare, not from the arsenal of controversy, 
but from the abundance of charity. Of his success we 
are ourselves, even at this remote period, the witnesses, 
and well may we envy the honorable reputation which has 
survived five generations of mortal men. Such renown 
appeared to George Eliot the highest goal of human 
achievement. If so, let Thomas Green teach us how, in 
the simple ways of life and in the due performance of 
ordinary affairs, it may be won. We come here to-day to 
rear a brazen tablet to the name and fame of one we never 
saw, — whom our fathers saw not, — a country physician 
and a village clergyman, the fragrance of whose memory 
we would thus commend to those who shall come after us. 
But the pagan historian Tacitus reminds us, in one of 
the loftiest passages to be found in classical literature, the 
close of his eloquent, tender portraiture of his father-in-law 
Agricola, that brass is not the noblest nor the most lasting 
monument which we can rear. These are his words, if I 
rightly recollect them, — 

" I urge upon the wife and daughter that they should so venerate the 
memory of the husband and father, that all his deeds and words they ponder 



REV. LEIGHTON WILLIAMS. 89 

over, and cherish the form and figure of the mind rather than of the body. 
Not that I judge that images formed of brass or of marble are to be inter- 
dicted, but as the features of men are perishable and mortal, so also are the 
semblances of them, while the form of the mind is eternal. And this is to 
be preserved and set forth, not by means of an alien material and art, but in 
one's own conduct." 

But rejoicing as we do in a brighter and clearer hope 
than that permitted to the pagan historian, we look for a 
better immortality than that of influence, and while echo- 
ing the same desire to transmit to those who come after 
us the escutcheon and the inheritance bequeathed to us 
by these heroes of the past, untarnished and unwasted, 
we know that their reward rests on a surer and a more 
enduring basis, even the faithfulness of their Master and 
ours ; as the welcome plaudit falls on the ear of each, 
" Well done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the 
joy of thy Lord." Such, we doubt not, has 'been the 
irreversible verdict on the work of Thomas Green. Well 
and worthily has he wrought ; well for his Master, well for 
his country, well for his family, and, therefore, well for 
himself. God grant us grace, each and all, to fulfill our 
course as valiantly, and at length to share the same 
blessed reward. 



90 ADDRESSES. 

Dr. Estes : — I had expected that Dr. Marshall, who 
for fourteen years was pastor of the largest church in 
our Association, the First Church, in Worcester, would 
be with us to-day, and speak for the Association with 
which, from its origin more than sixty years ago, his church 
and ours have been connected, — but we are disappointed. 
When he was informed some weeks ago that we were to 
observe this anniversary, he sent a word of congratulation 
on the age to which the church had attained, and said that 
he would gladly be with us if he could. His engagement, 
therefore, was not absolute, and his absence is no violation 
of a promise; but I regret it much. 

It was also our wish that some minister who has been 
raised up in the church, licensed by it, and sent forth into 
the field that has need of reapers, might be here to speak 
to-day ; but, so far as we know, none such are now living. 
There is, however, one present who was once a member 
of our Sunday School, who is a son of the present 
pastor, and who, for this two-fold reason, may be regarded 
as a son of the church. We will hear from him, the 
pastor of the church in Holden. 

ADDRESS OF REV. DAVID FOSTER ESTES. 

Mr. President : My part in these exercises is peculiar. 
Others represent the honored family, which shares the 
memories of the day ; others speak for neighboring 
churches ; I alone may claim towards this church a filial 
relation. Having been taught in the Sunday School and 
in the other services of the church, I may count myself a 
son of the church, while at the same time I represent a 
church which owes much in its origin to this ancient 



REV. DAVID F. ESTES. 9 1 

body. As a son, returning to the old home, something of 
reminiscence may perhaps be pardoned me. More than 
twenty-eight years have passed since I first came here. 
Though earlier recollections of home and of school, of 
play and of books, abound, yet my recollections of church 
and of Sunday School substantially, if not absolutely, 
begin here. Place, seats, surroundings, persons, my own 
first religious emotions, come freshly before me now with 
the vividness of boyhood's impressions. And it is by a 
winding road, by a strange network of Providences, that 
I come back to sit with you, fathers and brethren, at this 
feast of memory to-day. The ocean of circumstance 
seems shoreless, tideless, currentless, as we toss hither 
and thither upon it. Yet in it are gulf streams which 
bring us the gracious warmth of God's tropics, there are 
polar currents which chill us as they seize us, but bear us 
bodily to the place of his nearer and brighter shining. 
I was anchored far from here, after many a voyage to and 
fro. By ordering as strange as wise, after three homes in 
three states, my father, your pastor, found his home 
again among you. Through that link of events I 
happened, as men count hap, — being brought into the 
neighborhood, — to be invited to work in the sister town 
and daughter church of Holden. 

The relations of these towns and churches seem diffi- 
cult and distant. To come here to-day I have climbed up 
and down the hills of three townships. Yet my father's 
researches have uncovered, as you have heard to-day, a 
chain of connection, long covered with the dust of a 
century, and forgotten. Mousing among the records of 
the Holden church, I have been struck with the Minerva- 
like birth of the church. The body seemed strong from 
the beginning. In 1804 the Holden interest was a branch 
of the Templeton, now Baldwinville Church, with more 
than a score of members, and was served by its pastor. 
In 1807 it set up housekeeping for itself with about fifty 
members. I was puzzled to understand this harvest, 



92 ADDRESSES. 

gathered seemingly without sowing. The story of the 
conversion of one of the original deacons I heard. It 
was by means of the preaching of a certain brother Paul, 
a colored man and minister from Boston. Yet such 
influences, known and unknown, seemed insufficient. 
Whence this harvest ? 

On a July day, 1786, at the hands of Isaac Beall, the 
pastor of this little church, two young men of Princeton, 
living near the Holden line, Abel Woods and Sylvanus 
Haynes, were there buried with Christ in Baptism, and 
enrolled among the members of this flock. They were 
toilers and combatants for the truth, and to their influence 
is due, to an extent we cannot now trace, the establishment 
of the Baptists in that region. The church in Holden 
was not formed for twenty years, but these young work- 
men helped to prepare the material for it, — Davids to 
make ready for the spiritual temple another should rear. 

But the church in Holden does not abide alone. The 
church in West Boylston is a direct offshoot. The 
church in Princeton, later formed in part at least from its 
membership, though now extinct, was a mother of 
churches. Leominster, Fitchburg, and others still, in 
ways that we can and cannot trace, owe much to the 
fostering care of the Princeton church, thus owe much 
indirectly to your members, your pastor, your influence. 

But the circle widens as we watch, like the ever 
enlarging circles of the placid pool. These young 
Princeton disciples became ministers of the gospel, and 
established churches far and wide. And further yet we 
may watch for influence. When Abel Woods related his 
Christian experience in the barn in Princeton, before 
going to the baptismal stream, a younger brother of his 
climbed on one of the beams and listened to his brother's 
story. He later became the honored Dr. Leonard 
Woods of Andover, an eminent professor of theology, 
a stalwart champion of orthodoxy, "emphatically the 
'judicious' Divine of New England Theology". What 



&EV. DAVID F. ESTES. 93 

influence Abel Woods had upon his brother Leonard 
Woods, it is impossible to know. But who doubts that it 
was strong and helpful ? 

Does not this remind us of the vast extent of human 
influence ? Out from every soul, out from every life, runs 
power, power to draw, to mould, to make. Still more 
from every church goes out power in endless ramifications. 
From a single center may go out influences to the world's 
end. A few years ago a volcano belched forth clouds of 
dust. Farther and farther yet they streamed, filling the 
upper air, and painting the sunset sky with unknown 
beauty of carmine tints. From a single spot of earth 
may proceed moral power which shall likewise encircle 
the globe, and paint the train of the Sun of Righteous- 
ness with beauty hitherto unknown. From the little 
town of Holden eleven missionaries of the cross have 
gone forth to their work. Who can compute their power? 

And spiritual power is imperishable. The "red 
sunsets" have faded. The volcanic dust has ceased to 
shine. Sometime earth itself shall be changed, the 
elements melt with fervent heat, the heavens be rolled 
together as a scroll. But moral and spiritual influence 
shall still endure. Church work is not for time but for 
eternity. Slaves in diamond mines toilsomely search for 
stones whose beauty they shall never see, but which shall 
shine resplendent on the brow of a king. We are slaves 
of Christ (the name is not mine but Paul's), and we 
search out diamonds for the brow of our king whom we 
shall see in his beauty. Think you not that in the three 
Jubilee periods which have passed, many have been 
found by Christ's servants, who shall be his when he shall 
make up his jewels ? 

When time is done, and earth is gone, and 

" The sun grows cold 
And the stars are old, 
And the leaves of the judgment book unfold," 

then shall begin to be manifest the imperishability of all 



94 ADDRESSES. 

true Christian work. Then shall be tested the work, and 
all that has been ill built, shall perish at the test, and the 
well built shall endure. That this church has seen its 
one hundred and fiftieth year completed, testifies to me, 
that upon the one foundation Christ Jesus, faithful 
workers have built, not of wood, hay, and stubble, but of 
gol 1, silver, and precious stones. Verily they shall 
rejoice in their work, and shall also according to the 
promise receive a reward. 

There is another promise whose verification our eyes 
behold. "These things saith he that is holy, he that is 
true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and 
no man shutteth ; and shuttcth and no man openeth ; I 
know thy works : behold, I have set before thee an open 
door, and no man can shut it : for thou hast a little 
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my 
name." Could more appropriate words be written to the 
angel of the church in Greenville ? Do they not sum up 
the whole story of the century and a half ? A little power, 
unvarying faithfulness, an open door. Circumstances 
have kept its numbers small, and yet, though its 
power has never been great, it has always had at least 
"a little strength." It has through all these generations 
kept the faith and has not denied the name of Christ. 
Before it has always stood an open door of privilege and 
of opportunity. Before it still stands, and none can shut, 
the door divinely opened. Privilege, enjoyment, attain- 
ment, peace, virtue, character, Christlikeness, these 
still stand invitingly near. Opportunity and activity 
open still. Here is a community singularly compact and 
harmonious, still a field for Christian service, conflict, 
achievement, victory. God grant that every jubilee may 
find this old church still faithful and still active, until the 
angelic trumpets shall sound the universal jubilee ! 

From the history of this church I learn a lesson of 
promise and hope for the church universal. The fire 
burning unquenchably in spite of water cast upon it, 



REV. DAVID F. ESTES. 95 

might have been used by the immortal dreamer as a 
symbol of the church as well as of the work of grace in 
the single soul. "The gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it". It shall endure, it shall prosper, it shall 
conquer, it shall be crowned at last. 

There come back to me to-day two special memories of 
my life in this church. The first hymn which made a 
place for itself in my mind, was the hymn beginning 

" Saviour, visit thy Plantation ! " 

One evening in particular a number had tarried after 
the evening meeting, as those interested will often linger. 
At last a movement was made to separate. But first he 
who was then the pastor as he is now, said, "Let us sing 
Coronation ", and voices you still may hear, with voices 
that sing in heaven to-day, rolled out the measures of the 
deathless hymn, wedded to deathless music, 

" All hail the power of Jesus' name ! " 

To these hymns my thoughts set themselves to-day, to 
prayer for continued prosperity for this dear old church, 
"Saviour, visit thy plantation!" and to praise, which, 
even if unworthy, shall yet be unending. 

" Oh, that with yonder sacred throng, 

We at his feet may fall ! 
We'll join the everlasting song, 

And crown him Lord of all ! " 



At the close of this Address, the choir sang the 
hymn, "All hail the powerof Jesus' name", to the tune 
of " Coronation ". 



g6 ADDRESSES. 

Dr. Estes : — At the time when this church was 
formed, there was another older church in town — the 
Congregational — formed full sixteen years before. I have 
known two of its ministers, Dr. Nelson, who was its 
pastor from his ordination in 1812 till his death in 1871 ; 
and the present pastor, who has now passed the thirty- 
first anniversary of his ordination as Dr. Nelson's asso- 
ciate. We will hear from him, the Rev. Mr. Coolidge. 

ADDRESS OF REV. AMOS HILL COOLIDGE. 

Mr. President, and Friends of the Greenville Baptist 
Church in Leicester: 

It is my special privilege and pleasure to extend to you 
on this rare and happy anniversary, the Christian saluta- 
tions of the mother church, for such we claim to be. For 
almost a quarter of a century after the incorporation of 
this town, so far as it had an incorporation, there was but 
one church in Leicester. Its simple, significant, and 
sufficient name was " The Church of Christ in Leicester." 
The date of its organization is not known. The first 
settlers took their deeds in 17 14, and it is not probable 
that they very long neglected to provide themselves in 
some way, with the means of grace, and the institutions 
of religion. When this church was organized, in 1738, 
Leicester was still a wilderness. The town extended from 
Worcester on the east, to Brookfield on the west, and 
from Oxford line on the south, two miles into Paxton on 
the north. It thus embraced the whole of Leicester and 
Spencer, a considerable portion of Paxton, and a small 
part of Auburn. The people from the scattered farms in 
all this territory went up, some on foot, some doubtless 
with ox teams, and others on horseback, the women 
behind the men on pillions, to the meeting house on 
" Strawberry Hill." There, in the small, unadorned, un- 



REV. A. H. COOLIDGE. 97 

painted house of worship, without porch, without belfry, 
without ceiling, without pews, except such as individuals 
had built for themselves on "pew ground", and without 
fires, they assembled on that bleak hill, to worship God. 
They went from this part of the town, at first, in mere 
bridle paths, and then over a road marked by chopped 
trees, which at the Leicester end " began at a heap of 
stones, and a birch stake", "just over a slow, westerly of 
the pound", passed southward, "and so along to Capt. 
Samuel Green's corn mill." Wild beasts were then 
howling in the forest. The boys as they passed " Green's 
wolf pit," on a Sunday morning, hoped to find an unlucky 
wolf caught there, and the girls shied by, fearing they 
might. There were times too, when the liability to Indian 
ambuscade made the journey one of fears. There has 
been repeated to me to-day the tradition that Indians 
were seen skulking in yonder woods, and that they were 
deterred from making attack only by the sight of the 
fortified houses here. There is little doubt that there 
were times when here, as elsewhere, the men carried 
their fire-arms with them to the house of God. With 
that one church, upon whose services they waited with 
such difficulty, the people of these several towns and 
sections were associated. It was their one centre of 
assembly, — they all went up to it as the Jews did to 
Jerusalem. 

But with the change of circumstances, and in religious 
views, there came at last a separation. I have been 
happy to hear to-day, in the admirable address of the 
morning, so rich in historical interest, that the withdrawal 
occasioned, so far as we can now know, so little division 
of feeling. I am only sorry that the town should have 
waited even one year before voting to abate the taxes of 
those who desired to attend the Baptist Church. But, 
Mr. President, that was not very surprising, considering 
the times, and all the circumstances. 

There were other than sectarian reasons which made 



98 ADDRESSES. 

the church on the hill reluctant to part with these 
brethren and sisters. It must have seemed to them like 
weakening the power of the church, by division. We 
must remember, also, that the lives of these families, on 
their scattered farms, in homes in the wide forests, with- 
out a neighbor in sight, were very lonely. They were 
located miles apart. They could seldom see each other, 
but there was one place where old friends could meet, and 
look each other in the face ; and where they could lift up 
their hearts together to the God they loved, — it was the 
old meeting-house on the Hill. The separation was a 
parting from friends. It was the surrender of their 
principal and most sacred social privilege, associated with 
the place where they had thus far remembered Christ 
together. There were doubtless mutual tears at that 
parting. Nothing but the firm conviction of duty on the 
part of the founders of this church could probably have 
induced them then to take that heroic step. As I have 
listened to-day to the story of their lives and characters, 
I have seen another reason, on the part of the First 
Church, for reluctance in giving them up. Mr. 
President, is it strange that they were sorry to part with 
such men, aye, and such women too ? They were some of 
them foremost families of the town, — its most valued and 
trusted citizens. They were the Greens, descendants of 
that Samuel Green whom Washburn styles the " Nestor 
of this little community", who held nearly all the offices 
in town, civil and military, and by his enterprise secured 
all the "mill rights"; and others of similar standing; 
a strong, able, energetic, patriotic, and christian body of 
men. The old church honored them, and honored itself 
in proportion to the degree of its regret at losing them. 

This church was born of the church on the Hill, and 
the mother church to-day lovingly recognizes her child. 
The lineage is direct, the likeness is true. We can trace 
a single peculiarity, there is a single difference in the 
mode and time of a single ordinance, but the deeper, the 



REV. A. H. COOLIDGE. 99 

vital qualities and characteristics are the same, wrought 
by the same Spirit, through the same gospel of the Son of 
God. Between these churches, so far as my own knowl- 
edge extends, there has ever been the fullest harmony, 
and fellowship of heart. 

As I stand here to-day, in this most beautiful house of 
worship, I remember the old meeting house. I am glad 
that I had the privilege of preaching in it. It was in the 
first years of my ministry, when I was less accustomed 
to speak in public than now. I wound my way up the 
flight of stairs, and stood in the little box pulpit, high up 
there, somewhere, feeling myself, like Piul, lifted up into 
the third heaven, whether in the body or out ot the body 
I could hardly tell. But the memory of that old church 
links me with the early days of which we have heard 
to-day. 

But in such an hour as this we may not confine our 
gaze to the past. The future opens before us. The 
separation of this church, as well as that of the Congre- 
gational Church in Spencer was no doubt, at the time 
regarded by many as a misfortune. But God seeth not as 
man seeth. Apart from all denominational reasons, we 
can see now, in view of the changed condition of society, 
and the local growth of communities, as well as of the 
history of the church, spread before us so graphically 
to-day, that this church was needed here. It had, and it 
has done, a work which no remote organization could do. 
And, as we look around, to-day, on this growing village, 
and the surrounding region, who can doubt that it has a 
mission still, and a future. That, under the influence of 
this inspiring anniversary, you may move on with renewed 
devotion and courage, to its accomplishment, none will 
more sincerely pray than the old Mother Church. 



tOO ADDRESSES. 

Dr. Estes : — Sixty-five years ago, the oldest parish of 
the Protestant Episcopal Church in Worcester county 
was organized in this part of our town. The rector of 
that parish, the Rev. Thomas W. Nickerson, is present, 
and we will listen to him. 

Mr. Nickerson responded in an address expressive of 
his interest in the occasion, congratulating the church 
and the Green family on their history, and wishing for 
them long continued prosperity ; but the address has not 
been furnished for publication. 



Dr. Estes : — Fifty -five years ago a Second Congrega- 
tional, or Unitarian, Church was formed in this town ; and, 
the next year, a young man, fresh from the schools, came 
from Boston and was ordained its pastor. Since that 
time he has been a resident of the town, deeply interested 
in its various interests, its schools, its Public Library, 
and all that pertains to the welfare of the people, and now 
he shows how — notwithstanding the flight of years — the 
heart may be always young and aglow with youthful hope 
and fervor. We will hear from that young man, the 
Rev. Mr. May. 

ADDRESS OF REV. SAMUEL MAY. 

I desire, sir, to acknowledge, with my hearty thanks to 
yourself and to the committee of this church, the invita- 
tion to be present on this occasion. I cannot fail to 
recognize the large courtesy which has been evinced in 
all the arrangements for this meeting. I think that I 



REV. SAMUEL MAY. IOI 

said to you, sir, when I accepted the invitation, that I 
anticipated an occasion of unusual interest. There was 
something quaint and pathetic attending the first settle- 
ment of this part of the town, and the planting of this 
church, well fitted to attract attention and awaken 
sympathy. What I have seen and heard to-day has 
exceeded my expectation. Fresh interest has been 
imparted to historical and biographical facts ; and there 
has been so much variety in the treatment of the subject 
as to make the occasion to me really exhilarating. I 
cannot but think that a very valuable contribution to the 
history of Leicester has been made here to-day ; particu- 
larly of this portion of the town, which was called South 
Leicester when I first knew it. 

Of the long list of ministers of this church, who have 
been mentioned to-day, I have personally known several. 
With three of them I was associated in the town's School 
Committee, and had with them an agreeable and valued 
friendship. These were Rev. John Greene, Rev. Moses 
Harrington, and Rev. Lewis Holmes. With Rev. N. B. 
Cooke I had an especially pleasant connection, as fellow- 
members and officers of the Leicester Freedmen's Aid 
Society, in the years of and following the War of the 
Rebellion. I remember to have heard, when a boy, my 
honored father, who was a member and officer of the 
church of Dr. Holley and Rev. John Pierpont in Boston, 
speak of the kindness and friendship he had experienced 
from Rev. Dr. Baldwin, of the Second Baptist Church of 
Boston, and of his high respect for that excellent man. 
One of my own intimate friends, from boyhood to this 
date, is the Rev. Dr. Samuel F. Smith, one of the 
scholarly lights of your church, and the author of the 
universally known national hymn, 

My country, 'tis of thee, 
Sweet land of liberty, 
Of thee, I sing. 

So, if not a Baptist myself, I may claim to be here in 



102 ADDRESSES. 

good faith and in sincere good will. And it is in accord- 
ance with the principle of the freedom of the individual 
conscience — the great principle, I believe, upon which the 
Baptist order is founded — that I stand here and say, in 
words whose spirit is too often disregarded, "After the 
way which some call heresy, so worship I the God of my 
fathers." 

The great name of Roger Williams has been but 
incidentally mentioned here to day, though the popular 
impression is that the Baptists regard him as the founder 
of their order in America. When he left the colony of 
the Massachusetts Bay, 1635-6, he was in full accord, in 
matters of religious doctrine, with the Puritan churches. 
But he was a more complete Separatist from the English 
church than were even the Puritans of Boston and its 
neighborhood ; and he was of too independent nature to 
submit to what he regarded as the severe Puritan rule. 
He denied their right to the land they occupied ; and 
thought they should send back their charter. He with- 
stood them to their face. He would not " communicate ", 
as the phrase was, with their churches. The mildest 
possible result of such antagonism, in those days, was his 
enforced departure from the colony. Even with regard 
to baptism, he came to believe, in later life, if I rightly 
understand it, that there was no one upon the earth 
qualified to administer it. 1 By such fearlessness of spirit, 
by such consecration to his highest idea of right, by what 
John Quincy Adams has called his "conscientious 
contentiousness ", Roger Williams has won for himself 
the name of The Apostle of Soul-liberty. It is a most 
honorable distinction of the Baptist churches that they 
have so fully accepted him as a chief leader and exponent 
of their order. 

From this point I may not improperly refer to the 
contest with the Romish Church which seems to be at 
hand, on account of its apparent hostility to our national 

1 See Ellis's Puritan Age and Rule in Massachusetts. Page 270. 



REV. SAMUEL MAY. 103 

free school system. I hope the question will be met on 
national grounds and in a purely American spirit, 
asserting always the superiority of the American consti- 
tution and law to any and all ecclesiastical organizations 
whatever. In this country, the Catholic church has no 
exclusive or special rights. It is one sect among others. 
Its equal rights, of course, should be fully respected. Its 
claim for more than that must be, and I believe will be, 
firmly and steadily resisted. If it chooses to establish 
private schools for its children, it has the clear right to do 
so ; and to maintain them ; but never at the public cost. 
Nor should the members of that church ask or expect to be 
released from the obligation, which all citizens are under, 
to aid in sustaining the schools established by law. 

There is something very touching in the experience of 
Thomas Green, afterwards the founder of this church, 
when, left as a lad alone in the wilderness here, in charge 
of a few cattle, he was attacked with a prostrating fever, 
without a human hand to aid him. The founders of Rome, 
so long the world's great centre, when they were exposed 
in their infancy, on the Tiber, and cast upon its shore 
near the Palatine Hill, are said to have been preserved 
from perishing by the motherly care of a she-wolf. 
Thomas Green, when exposed to death, in his sickness, at 
the foot of this hill, — his only shelter a shelving rock on 
the river bank, — owed his life to the more suitable nourish- 
ment furnished by one of the gentler and more beneficent 
of the brute creation, which came from time to time to 
her calf, which the young man had mustered strength to 
tether to a tree within his reach. No wonder that the 
saving of his life, afterwards so useful and eminent, 
should be regarded as providential. Let it also serve 
to teach a lesson of our duty to the patient and willing 
animals who serve us so constantly, and who surely are 
entitled to our considerate care in return. 

Nothing has given me more pleasure to-day than the 
addresses of the two young men who have spoken here. 



104 ADDRESSES. 

To such earnestness and faith all things are possible ; and 
the elders may, in much hope and trust, see their own 
work passing into such fresh hands. It is of infinite 
comfort to remember, in the limited view that any of us 
can have of the ways and purposes of God, that we can 
do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. I offer 
you, sir, in conclusion, my best wishes for the prosperity 
of this venerable church and of all connected with it. 



CALEB A. WALL. IO$ 

Dr. Estes : — We have with us to-day a gentleman, 
who has been connected with the press more than fifty 
years ; and who has an interest in this occasion different 
from that of any who have yet spoken. He was born in 
this part of our town ; and has never lost his interest in 
his native place. He is also a representative of the 
Quakers, who had a society established in this town 
before this church was formed, and whose experiences in 
early times were much like our own.' 2 We will hear from 
him ; Mr. Wall, of Worcester. 

ADDRESS OF MR. CALEB ARNOLD WALL. 

Among the pleasantest recollections of our lives, are 
those of our early years, when everything is newest and 
freshest to us. The first fourteen years of my life were 
spent in this place, on these hills, in these valleys, and 
along this running stream, within sight and hearing of 
the majestic water-fall whose music is sweet to my ears 
to-day, sweet as of yore, reviving many a memory of the 
past. My father's estate, including the mills, comprised 
a portion of that which belonged to the original proprietor 
of this section of the town, Capt. Samuel Green, whose 
son was the founder, and first pastor, of this venerable 
church. My father's house, just at the foot of this hill, 



a The records of the town of Leicester contain exemption certificates filed 
by Quakers, resident in the town, as follows : 

" What Is here under writen is what I Received from those People Called 
Quackers : also Signed by the assessors on July the Nineteenth 1732. 

" This may Certify all whome it may Concern yt we the Subscribers are of 
the Presuasion of those Commonly Called Quakers & do frequently and 
usually assemble our Selves togeather for ye worship of God according to 
Law : and we do alledge a Scruple of Contiance as the Reason of our 
Refusall to pay any part of the Tax for the Seport of the minister or 
ministers Established by the Laws of this province and do Lay Claim to : 



106 ADDRESSES. 

was built by Deacon Samuel Green, for his nephew, 
Elias Green, who occupied it before my father purchased 
it. 

In the time of my boyhood, many aged people were 
living here, whose recollections went back to the times of 
the first pastor of this church, and many of their fathers 
had taken part in forming this church, and building the 
first house of worship, whose humble appearance, as it 
looked fifty or more years ago, I well remember, contrast- 
ing strangely in architectural appearance with this 
beautiful structure, which has taken its place. 

The first pastor, whom I remember here, was Rev. 
Benjamin N. Harris ; and with him I remember his 
industrious and thrifty helpmeet, who was ever ready, 
with the results of her handiwork, to make up for the 
limited amount of her husband's salary, necessarily small 
in those days of inadequate ministerial support as 
compared with present times. The next pastor was Rev. 
John Greene. With much pleasure do I call to mind 
incidents connected with his pastorate here, and with his 
sainted brother, the late Samuel Stillman Green, who was 

and do Desire yt ye proper and Regular steps for our obtaining the 
Priveleges Granted to ye people Called Quakers may be proceeded in and as 
Such : in Testimonie theirof we Subscribe our names being Inhabitants of 
the Town of Leicester. 

THOMAS NEWHALL, RALPH EARL, 
WILLM. EARL, 
THOMAS SMITH, 
ROBART EARL, 
DANIEL HILL, 
NATHANIEL POTTER, 
JOSEPH POTTER. 

"July 18, 1738. Benjamin Earl Declared him Self a Quaker and Desired 
his name might be entered as such — Benjamin Earl. 

" June 30, 1758. These are to Certify that the parsons here under named 
Being Inhabitants of the town of Leicester Pursuant to an act of this 
Province are those that are Commonly Called Quakers (viz.) William Earl, 
Nathaniel Potter, Dudley wate [Wade] Swan, Steward Southgate, Robart 
Earll, Benj'a Earll, Benj'a Wheater, William Earll jun., John Potter, 
Nathaniel Potter junr." 



CALEB A. WALL 

my first teacher, in the old red school-house, which stood 
at the corner of the road just below the then parsonage. 
In tribute to his memory I cannot do better than endorse 
the sentiment of the lines written after his decease in 
1883, by a fellow Professor, and one of his former 
students, in Brown University, T. Whiting Bancroft : 

A consecrated life, in purpose true, 

Has come, untiring, to its very end, 

Apt both to teach and learn, and ever spend 
Its best endeavor, at the first clear view 
Of duty, on the humblest task that waited. 

While others, selfish sought their own advance, 

All eager for the world's approving glance, 
Thou never wast with swelling pride inflated. 
Thy voice is hushed, thy willing hands are folded, 

Thy burden thou didst carry to the last. 

Thou from thy daily toil at once hast passed 
To thy reward. The minds thy skill has moulded 

Rise to bless thee. Consecrated life of trust ! 

Thou leav'st behind the memory of the just. 

Among the worthy successors of Rev. John Greene, with 
whom I was acquainted, were the late Rev. Otis Converse 
and Rev. John F. Burbank, both of whom died in Worces- 
ter, and are well remembered there for their many virtues. 
And there is another, under whose administration the 
present church edifice was finished and dedicated more 
than twenty-five years ago, and whose work was so well 
and justly appreciated, that he was recalled about 
two years ago ; and it is to him that the church is 
indebted for the inauguration and management of these 
sesqui-centennial proceedings, over which he has presided 
with so much ability and dignity, and for the admirable 
historical address to which we all listened with so much 
interest this morning. 

In the old burial ground of this church repose the 
ashes of my sainted father and mother, and four elder 
brothers, as well as the remains of the pioneer settlers of 
this section of the town, including the first settler, Capt. 
Samuel Green, whose headstone still marks his place of 



108 ADDRESSES. 

burial one hundred and fifty-two years ago ; and when now 
I walk among these graves, as I was wont to do in my 
childhood days, I am forcibly reminded of the lines of 
Gray, " written in a country church-yard," — 

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade, 
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap, 

Each in his narrow cell forever laid, 

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep. 

In this connection I cannot help referring to the 
present condition of many of our oldest burial grounds, 
and the desirableness of preserving, as nearly as possible, 
in their original condition, the headstones and monuments 
of the early settlers. They are precious and instructive 
memorials of our ancestors, as well as of the generations 
of the past, reaching back to the first settlement of our 
towns and villages. As such they should be kept sacred. 
In place of the neglect, of which we see the signs in many 
ancient cemeteries, not to speak of the desecration of 
others, increased attention should be given to the work of 
caring for them, resetting the monuments which have 
fallen, replacing those which have been broken by others 
as much like the originals as possible, relettering those 
whose inscriptions have become worn and almost 
obliterated, thus doing all we can to transmit to our 
descendants the memorials which we have of our 
ancestors. It was a " pious task " in which Walter Scott 
represents " Old Mortality " as engaged, " cleaning the 
moss from the grey stones, renewing with his chisel the 
half defaced inscriptions, and repairing the emblems of 
death " with which the simple monuments of the old 
Covenanters were usually adorned. Therefore I rejoice 
in the great improvements which have been made in this 
ancient cemetery ; and I hope others still more important 
in the lines I have suggested, may be made hereafter. 

As a representative of a religious denomination, whose 
ancestors, like the Baptists, were driven from Massachu- 
setts in the early period of her history, because of their 



CALEB A. WALL. IO9 

religious views, I cannot close without offering this 
sentiment : 

The Baptists and the Quakers, the disciples of Roger 
Williams and of William Penn ; however much they may 
have differed in their theological tenets, either in the past 
or in the present, they have always been agreed in the 
grand cardinal principle of " Soul Liberty ", " the right of 
every man to worship God according to the dictates of his 
own conscience, untrammelled by written articles of faith, 
and unawed by the civil power"; a principle of moral 
science and political philosophy, in which the Quakers 
and the Baptists were at least two hundred years in 
advance of the persecuting age, in which they first 
appeared. 



1 10 ADDRESSES, 

Dr. Estes: — Mention has been made, more than once 
to-day, of Mr. Daniel Denny, a prominent and influential 
man among the first settlers of the town, and one of the 
original members of this church. He came from England 
to this country in 171 5, when he was twenty-one years of 
age, and he came to Leicester two years later. He was 
descended from a godly ancestry in England, where the 
" family had been devoted to the church for centuries." 
Some of his mother's letters, written from her home there 
to him here, have had for me a marvellous interest. In 
one of them, written the same year in which this church 
was formed, she said, "I hope I and all mine are of the 
seed and offspring of God's people." x In him dwelt the 
unfeigned faith of his mother Grace, as in Timothy dwelt 
that of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois : and 
his descendants have cherished the faith and walked in 
the ways of their ancestors. One of them, a resident of 
our town, and one of our men of business, whom his 
fellow citizens have delighted to honor, is with us to-day. 
We will now listen to him, — the Hon. Mr. Denny. 

ADDRESS OF HON. CHARLES ADDISON DENNY. 

Mr. Chairman : — I thank you for your very kind 
introduction of myself as representing the decendants of 
one of the early settlers of this town and one of the first 
members of this ancient church. 

I congratulate you on this interesting anniversary day, 
both you as the pastor of this church, and the members, 
for this day celebrates one hundred and fifty years of 
active Christian work here in this community and 
town. 

1 Genealogy of the Denny Family in England and America. Page 73. 



HON. CHARLES A. DENNY. ill 

I stand here to-day simply representing the business 
men of Leicester, and I bring words of cheer for the good 
work accomplished by you. 

We appreciate the influence of the Christian Churches 
They are of great value to us, helping to train up good 
and faithful men and women, and having the advantages 
which church and school give, we are able to retain as 
permanent citizens, the best class of persons to engage in 
the various enterprises in our town. 

I have always felt a deep interest in this church, both 
on account of its present members, and because so many 
of my ancestors have been active members here, who 
never in their lives ceased to feel that affection for it, 
which is characteristic of the true New England men and 
women. 

The pastors of this church have not only been faithful 
to their church, but have been useful helpers in the cause 
of education in the town. 

This beautiful house shows the successful efforts of 
this people to have an attractive place of worship, and who 
can calculate the wide spread influence that has gone 
forth from this single church in Greenville. 

Many of us know well the deep christian character of 
some of its members and the quiet work that has been 
done by them in this portion of the town. 

I cannot but feel that it is one of the precious privileges 
of those of us who live in New England, to help sustain 
these churches in the country towns, for it is here that 
he young are trained up who in later years are to go to 
the city, and help make up those large communities, and 
if early their principles shall become fixed and right, they 
will generally exert an influence for good wherever they 

go- 

The business men as well as the politicians know well 

the value of the country life. In our elections the vote 
of the large cities is generally cast against temperance 
and good morals, while they look to the country to cast 



112 ADDRESSES. 

their votes for the right, and thus give balance in the 
State and Nation far differently from what the cities 
alone would do. 

So in closing, I wish to bespeak for the country 
churches sympathy (and pecuniary aid, if that be needed) 
so that they shall be carried on with cheerfulness and 
vigor, and in all the future be as living streams flowing 
for the good of the nation. 



APPENDIX 









A SERMON 









Preached in the Meeting House of the Greenville Baptist 
Church in Leicester, September 30, 1888, on the Sunday 
after the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the 
formation of the church. 



BY HIRAM CUSHMAN ESTES, D. D., PASTOR. 



" Call to remembrance the former days." Hebrews, x : 32. 

The former days are worth remembering. We have the 
power of memory that we may remember them. Tradition 
has always been telling stories of what was done or suf- 
fered in them. From the time when history first took up 
her pen, she has been busy making records of events and 
deeds, that distant generations may know of them, and 
that their lessons may not be lost. The father of history, 
in the first words of his great work, said : " These are the 
researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he pub- 
lishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the 
remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing 
the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and the 
Barbarians from losing their due meed of glory." When 
Moses was about leaving the children of Israel, to go to 
a better land than that of Canaan, he said to them, 
"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many 
generations : ask thy father, and he will shew thee ; 
thy elders, and they will tell thee." And the unknown 
author of the epistle to the Hebrews said to Jewish Chris- 
tians, " Call to remembrance the former days." It was 



Il6 APPENDIX. 

well that he said this, for to them the former days had 
been days of trial and distress. They, like the early 
Christians at Philippi and elsewhere, had known not 
only what it was to believe on Christ, but also to 
suffer for his sake. They could remember, not only 
the morning glow of their conversion, but tempta- 
tions to apostacy, and persecutions bravely borne ; and 
the remembrance of their past trials, and of their 
steadfastness and faithfulness in times that tried their 
souls, might strengthen them for trials yet to come. 
Therefore, their wise instructor and counsellor in this 
epistle said : " Call to remembrance the former days, in 
which after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight 
of afflictions ; partly, whilst ye were made a gazing-stock 
both by reproaches and afflictions ; and partly, whilst ye 
became companions of them that were so used." So it 
was well for them, and it is well for all, in their ever- 
varying and widely diversified experiences, to remember 
the "former days/' 

We as a church have recently been doing this more than 
is our wont. Last Friday was given especially to the 
remembrance of the earlier days of our history. I hope 
that it was with profit no less than pleasure, to all. But 
many things that might have been said that day, were of 
necessity left unsaid. The historical discourse delivered 
on that occasion was not a sermon. Its object was to 
tell the simple story of our history, without dwelling 
upon its significance, or mentioning any of the things 
that it suggests. But some of those things deserve to be 
dwelt upon, and may properly be dwelt upon, by the 
preacher in the pulpit. He would not do well to neglect 
them. Therefore what I say to-day will be in the line of 
our recent meditations, and a continuation of them. My 
wish is to let the former days of our history speak to us ; 
to give a voice to some thoughts which they awaken and 
some impressions which they make ; and to draw out some 
of their lessons and suggestions. 



APPENDIX. 117 

I. The remembrance of the former days of our 
history as a church reminds us of the dense obscurity in 
which the beginnings of things are, for the most part, 
enwrapped. No man knows how many persons joined 
with Dr. Green in the formation of this church one 
hundred and fifty years ago ; nor who they were ; nor in 
what house they met ; nor on which side of the river, the 
voice of whose falling water we hear ; nor any of the 
circumstances under which their meeting was called and 
held. So of the older Congregational church in our town. 
We know that it was in existence here on the 30th of 
March, 1721 ; but no man knows how old it then was, 
nor under what circumstances it was formed. And this 
shows how God hides the germs of things, and veils their 
germination — how the beginnings of things are veiled and 
hidden from our sight. Banquo's words to the witches on 
the " blasted heath," 

" If you can look into the seeds of time, 
And say which grain will grow, and which will not," 

remind us that it has not been given to mortals to " look 
into the seeds of time." No one knows when the seed of 
the Charter Oak, or of the Washington Elm was planted, 
or when they began to grow. No man can tell when 
Egypt or Assyria, Greece or Rome, France or England, 
began to grow. The beginnings of Tyre and Carthage, 
Athens and Rome, are wrapped in mist and mystery, 
such that no man can tell when their first foundation 
stones were laid. The great Universities of Oxford and 
Cambridge were founded, no record tells us when, 

" Earth proudly wears the Parthenon, 

As the best gem upon her zone ; 

And Morning opes with haste her lids, 

To gaze upon the Pyramids ; 

O'er England's abbeys bends the sky, 

As on its friends, with kindred eye ;" 



" These Temples grew as grows the grass ;" 



Il8 APPENDIX. 

the beginning of whose growth, it has not been given to 
man to see. 

" When Nature tries her finest touch, 

Weaving her vernal wreath, 
Mark ye, how close she veils her round, 
Not to be traced by sight or sound, 

Nor soiPd by ruder breath ?" 

" The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest 
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or 
whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the 
Spirit." We know when Dr. Green joined the First 
Baptist Church in Boston, and had his name written in 
its list of members ; but no one knows when he joined 
the church invisible and universal, or had his name written 
in heaven. You, my christian brother, and my sister, 
have passed from death unto life, but the "passing" 
was seen only by Him " who seeth in secret." "It is 
the glory of God to conceal a thing;" and the begin- 
nings of things, from the beginning of the creation to 
the beginning of life on this planet, and in every living 
thing, the polyp and the spiritually quickened soul alike, 
are veiled and hidden from our sight. This is one of the 
teachings of our third jubilee. 

II. Again, from our remembrance of "the former 
days " of our history, we see how it was that, though the 
Baptists in this goodly town of Leicester escaped the 
disabilities and distresses which were common to the 
Baptists and Quakers of those days, — "the spoiling of 
their goods " and imprisonment often, — still our brethren 
here were " the companions of them that were so used." 
Fifty-eight years before this church was formed, the doors 
of the First Baptist meeting house in Boston were nailed 
up by order of the civil authorities, and a notice was 
posted on them in these words : " All persons are to take 
notice, that by order of the Court, the doors of this house 
are shut up, and that they are inhibited to hold any 
meeting therein, or to open the doors thereof, without 






APPENDIX. 119 

license from authority, till the General Court take further 
order, as they will answer the contrary at their peril. 
Dated in Boston, 8th March, 1680. By order of the 
Council, Edward Rawson, Secretary." 1 The owners of 
the house asked for a copy of the marshal's warrant, 
but were refused. The next Sunday they met in their 
yard. In the week following they built a shed in which 
to meet. But when they came together the next Sunday 
they found the doors of their meeting house open. They 
did not stop to ask how the doors had been opened, 
whether by the marshal or by an angel ; but they went in 
and occupied their house of worship, and since that time 
the doors have not been shut against the Baptists of 
Boston. 

Nineteen years after that was done in Boston, Thomas 
Green was born in Maiden. When he was thirty-one 
years old he joined that First Baptist Church in Boston. 
Seven years later he took part in forming this church in 
Leicester, of which he was pastor thirty-five years. And 
the freedom of this church from persecution or oppression 
is a singular exception to the common lot of Baptist 
churches in all their earlier history. There is no record, 
there is nothing in history or tradition, to show that any 
person in Leicester was ever distressed on account of his 
connection with this church, though for a long time after, 
as well as before its formation, the distresses of the 
Baptists in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the colonies, 
were very great. The story is a sad one, from the whip- 
ping of Obadiah Holmes, to the unjust taxation, harsh 
enforcement of the laws in collecting rates, arrests, 
imprisonment, and vexatious lawsuits, that were familiar 
things in many towns. Backus says of the exemption act 
of 1757, which "was continued in force thirteen years," 
that " no tongue nor pen can fully describe all the evils 
that were practised under it." At the meeting of the 
Warren Association at Sturbridge, in 1788, there was 

1 Backus' History. Vol. I. p. 390. 



120 APPENDIX. 

" collected, by several of the churches, and paid into the 
hands of Rev. Mr. Gair [pastor of the Second Church in 
Boston], the sum of six pounds, eleven shillings and three 
pence, to be transmitted to our brethren at Cambridge, in 
addition to what they have already received toward defray- 
ing the expense of their late lawsuit." 1 That church "at 
Cambridge" was the one where Rev. Thomas Green, grand- 
son of our first pastor, and afterwards of North Yarmouth, 
Me., was preaching, and from which, in 1784, he came 
here to take part in the ordination of our third pastor, 
Rev. Isaac Beall. And so, if our fathers of this church 
did not suffer distress and "the spoiling of their goods," 
they were " the companions of them that were so used." 
I speak of these things not to reproach our Congregational 
brethren on account of them, because they are not to 
blame for them, — unless, perchance, they justify them, 
and by justifying them make themselves partakers of the 
evil deeds. It was the spirit of the age that did those 
things, through the standing order as its instrument, a 
spirit which the spirit of the present age condemns ; and 
this church, with its first pastor, had some part in the 
good work of bringing in this better age. Let us be 
thankful for this. In the words of one in Homer, let us 
never fail to "give thanks that our condition is infinitely 
better than that of our fathers." 

III. Once more, in our remembrance of the former 
days, we are reminded of the great changes that have 
taken place in the world in the last one hundred and fifty 
years ; changes in the arts of life, in methods of educa- 
tion, in social usages, in the habits of the people, in forms 
of government, in our knowledge of nature and of the 
Scriptures, in the terms used in giving expression to 
philosophic and religious thought. In all things how 
different is the world that now is from that which was 
when this church was formed. Then we were a depen- 
dency of the British crown. Then almost all of North 

1 Minutes of the Warren Association, 1788, pp. 6-7. 



APPENDIX. 121 

America, from Quebec to St Louis and New Orleans, 
was in the hands of the French, and subject to the papal 
power, which promised to control the continent for all 
time. Then the lightning had not been brought down 
from heaven to be an obedient servant of mankind, 
putting a girdle round about the earth in less than " forty 
minutes," but its ways were as mysterious as when 
Adam first saw it flashing its zigzag course in the sky. 
When this church was formed, Franklin was only thirty- 
one years old, Washington only six, and James Watt was 
only two — not yet old enough to wonder at the mystery 
of the escaping steam of the boiling tea-kettle. Then 
there was not a cotton mill, nor a cotton-gin, nor a steam 
engine, nor a mowing machine or reaping machine, nor a 
sewing-machine in the world; and men had more than 
fifty years to wait for vaccination, and more than eighty 
for the daguerrotype and the photograph. Indeed, with 
the exception of the mariner's compass, gunpowder, and 
printing, almost all the great inventions and discoveries 
that have made the present age, in respect of its material 
triumphs, the most wonderful of all the ages, have been 
made since this church was formed. In this time, the 
progress made in the physical sciences has been as won 
derful as that of the industrial arts and inventive genius. 
New sciences like geology and comparative anatomy have 
come into being ; botany has been reformed and the three 
kingdoms of natural history reorganized by Linnasus ; 
chemistry has marvellously enlarged its borders, and been 
revolutionized more than once ; the most important dis- 
coveries and generalizations of electricity have been 
made ; and discoveries in astronomy have pushed the 
flaming walls of the world far back in space. 

W T hen this church was formed there were no Baptist 
institutions of learning in the country ; no theological 
seminaries, no Brown University ; and there were only 
seven Baptist churches in Massachusetts ; not more than 
thirty-six in all the colonies, and only one Association of 



122 APPENDIX. 

churches, — the Philadelphia ; while now there are, in the 
United States, more than thirty-one thousand Baptist 
churches, with almost if not quite three million mem- 
bers ; and we have our schools, colleges, theological 
seminaries and missionary societies, doing much for the 
education of our land and the evangelization of the world. 

When this church was formed the means of education 
were very narrow, and within the reach of but few ; now 
they are broad and within the reach of all, — our high 
schools giving a better education now than the colleges 
gave then, or half a century later. b 

Ten years before this church was formed, as we learn 
from Franklin's Autobiography, "there was not a good 
bookseller's shop in any of the colonies to the south- 
ward of Boston, Those who loved reading were 

obliged to send for their books from England ; M1 and 
sixteen years after it was formed, there were only nine 
newspapers published in the colonies, while now books 
and newspapers are scattered everywhere, like the dew- 
drops of the morning. The post-office is now one of the 
wonders of the age, though the beginning of its organiza- 
tion in the colonies was only twenty-seven years before 
our church was formed, and Franklin was not appointed 
Postmaster-General till fifteen years after it was formed. 
Now the industry of the country has been revolutionized 
by machinery such as no man of Dr. Green's time could 

a According to the latest statistics published, the number of churches was 
31,891, with 2,917,315 members. 

*" When I entered Harvard University [in 1789] no knowledge even of 
common arithmetic was a pre-requisite ; nor were we required to know 
anything of geography, but simply the place of our nativity. It is my firm 
conviction, that the young ladies of this Academy now acquire more know- 
ledge of the mathematical and kindred sciences, to say nothing of the belles- 
lettres, than was then attained, take them as they arise, by the graduates of 
our first universities." 1 

1 "The Centenary of Leicester Academy," p. 51, the passage being an extract from 
an unpublished address delivered before the Academy, in 1849, by Rev - J omi Pierce, D. D. 
See also the letter of Judge Story in " Memoirs of William Ellery Channing," Vol. I., 
pp. 43-44. 



APPENDIX. 123 

have dreamed of. Now the land is covered with a 
network of iron roads and telegraphic wires ; and swift 
steamships on the seas, with telegraphic cables under them 
have brought the continents and " the ends of the earth " 
together, so that now there are no foreign lands, but the 
inhabitants of India, China and Japan are our neighbors. 
These marvels and triumphs of inventive genius and the 
mechanic arts achieved in the latter half of the period 
embraced in the history of our church, with the sewing 
machine, the typewriter, the telephone and the phono- 
graph, are familiar things, and are improvements and 
advances such as Dr. Hopkins thought men might make 
in the Millenium,* though he could only see them as 
"through a glass, darkly." In view of the marvellous 
changes that have been wrought in the world since this 
church was formed, who will not exclaim, in the words of 
the first message sent by telegraph from Washington to 
Baltimore in 1844, "What hath God wrought"? 

IV. Yet again, our remembrance of the former days 
reminds us that there is something stable in the midst of 
change. Allusion was made last Friday, and more than 
once, to the steadfastness of this church in the faith of 
Christ. I was glad that it could receive such commenda- 

a " There will, doubtless, be great improvement and advances made in all 
those mechanic arts, by which the earth will be subdued and cultivated, and 
all the necessary and convenient articles of life, such as all utensils, clothing, 
buildings, etc., will be formed and made in a better manner, and with much 
less labor than they now are. There may be inventions and arts of this 
kind which are beyond our present conception. And if they could be now 
known by any one, and he could tell what they will be, they would be 
thought by most to be utterly incredible and impossible, as those inventions 
and arts, which are now known and familiar to us, would have appeared to 

those who lived before they were found out and took place And 

ways may be invented, perhaps something like the short hands which are 
now used by many, by which they will be able to communicate their ideas, 
and hold intercourse and correspondence with each other who live in 
different parts of the world, with much less expense of time and labor, perhaps 
a hundred times less, than that with which men now correspond." * 

x The Works of Samuel Hopkins, D. D., edition of 1854. Treatise on the Millenium. 
Vol. II., pp. 286, 290-291. 



124 APPENDIX. 

tion, for it is a good thing that churches, like individual 
men, should have some sound convictions, some fixed 
principles, and some stability, so as not to be " tossed to 
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by 
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they 
lie in wait to deceive." There is a system of moral and 
religious truth that is often called "the truth as it is in 
Jesus." There is a faith once delivered to the saints, 
delivered by the Lord, and delivered once for all. It is 
found in the Bible, — in its general drift and in its special 
teachings. Just as there is a certain line of thought and 
form of faith in the writings of Plato or Pascal ; just as 
there is a certain line of thought and theory of govern- 
ment in the Constitution of the United States, so there is 
some certain form of faith, and not its opposite, in the 
Bible. There may be, indeed there have been, different 
opinions as to what the Constitution teaches concerning 
the bond of union between the States, — the doctrines of 
nullification and secession, for instance, — and other 
matters ; but the framers of that instrument meant 
something by its words, clauses and articles, and it is our 
business, as those whose dwelling-place is in the Union 
under it, to find out what it means, and to conform our 
views and actions to it. What the Constitution is to the 
Nation, that the Bible is to the Church. This has 
always been a fundamental article of our faith as Baptists. 
We stand, as we have always stood, for the rights of a 
free mind and liberty of conscience, under this divine 
constitution of the Bible. 

Beyond this there is a system of Christian doctrine 
that has been held from the beginning, with more or less 
distinctness and positiveness, sometimes with a theory 
and sometimes without a theory as to its particular 
doctrines, but so held through all the Christian ages that 
we may say that the faith of the fathers is the treasure of 
the church. We often speak of it as the orthodox or 
evangelical faith. It is found in the writings of the early 



j APPENDIX. 125 

j 

Christian fathers, and in the early Christian creeds "; in 
Augustine ; in Tauler and his associates ; in Wy cliff e, 
and other reformers before the Reformation ; in the 
Reformers themselves ; in the Jansenists and others of 
the Romish church ; in the Scottish Covenanters and 
English Puritans ; in the fathers of New England ; in the 
leaders and apostles of the Great Awakening in New 
England, under Whitefield and others, in 1740 ; and in 
those who formed this church in 1738. The substance of 
this evangelical faith — its view of " God in Christ recon- 
ciling the world unto himself," and of man as a sinner 
needing that reconciliation and salvation — is held and 
preached here now, as it was in the days of Dr. Green and 
Dr. Foster, however much many of the terms used in speak" 
ing of it may have changed in these four generations that 
have passed away, — the forms of speech changing while 
the substance of thought remains, — and from this faith 
may the church never swerve, but always deserve the com- 
mendation of the apostle, who said in his epistle to the 
elect lady, " I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children 
walking in the truth, even as we have received a command- 
ment from the Father." 

V. Still further, our remembrance of the former days 
of our church is one to expand our thought of time and of 
eternity. Some one last Friday spoke of this church as 
"an ancient church." As children, to whom the years 
seem long, look at it, and as we from our maturer years 
look at it, it is an ancient church, — its history covers one 
hundred and fifty years. But from another point of view 
the church is young and its years are few. The families 
of the Greens and Dennys, who were among our 
constituent members, had had a history of many genera- 
tions before this church was formed. Westminster Abbey 
had then been standing full six hundred and fifty years. 
The Pyramids of Egypt had watched the coming and the 
going of more than three thousand years. And the long 
geologic aeons of the history of our globe, while it was 



126 APPENDIX. 

preparing to be the fit place for man's earthly life and 
experience — we have no power to measure them! but 
from them our thought darts in an instant to Him who 
is " from everlasting to everlasting," whose days have 
no end. 

" What babble we of days and days ? 
The Dayspring He, whose days go on. 
He reigns above, He reigns alone ; 
Systems burn out and leave His throne; 
Fair mists of seraphs melt and fall 
Around Him, changeless amid all ! — 
Ancient of Days, whose days go on." 

But for every soul renewed and formed into His image 
by His Spirit and Word, leaving its frail tenement of clay 
in our churchyard, or on some distant shore, or, like 
Judson, in the far-wandering sea, there is " an inheritance, 
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 
reserved in heaven", and for this inheritance the church 
has been established as a training-school in all righteous- 
ness and true holiness. Therefore let us all say, " Pray 
for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love 
thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within 
thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, 
I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the 
house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good." 

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, from which the text was 
taken, mention is made of a great cloud of witnesses by 
whom we are encompassed. If from among them, the 
faithful preachers, and others who have passed from this 
church to their reward, could speak to us to day, what 
would they say ? What would be the burden of their 
exhortation ? What but this : " Hold fast the profession 
of your faith without wavering; for he is faithful that 
promised ;" and "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord." 



ERRATUM. 



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